Amazon set to layoff 10000 employees after CEO Andy Jassy's restructuring efforts?

Amazon's recent decision to lay off 10,000 more employees, following its earlier layoff of 18,000 people in November, has sparked significant criticism, particularly from Complete Circle CIO Gurmeet Chadha. Chadha voiced his frustration on social media platform X, expressing his disapproval of corporate jargon and the increasing use of AI in driving job cuts. He pointed out the irony in the company’s use of terms like "People Experience Head" and "Chief People Officer" for HR leaders, while referring to employees as "families." He criticized Amazon for hiding behind these fancy titles and labels, calling it all "drama."

Chadha’s comments went further, denouncing the mass layoffs being justified in the name of innovation. He argued that technology advancements, like AI, should not come at the expense of people's livelihoods. Citing the philosophy of Guru Nanak Dev, Chadha emphasized the importance of prioritizing people's well-being in any innovation. “Sarbat da bhalla,” which translates to “welfare of all,” should be at the core of any technological progress, he said.

Amazon is laying off 10000 more people after laying off 18k in November

They call their HR heads as People experience head, chief people officer and fancy names.. employees r called families.

Sab drama!!

AI or any disruption which brings misery to ur own people is useless.…

— Gurmeet Chadha (@connectgurmeet) March 17, 2025

These comments came at a time when Amazon’s CEO, Andy Jassy, is pushing through a significant restructuring effort to reduce middle management and improve efficiency. Jassy has already exceeded his goal of cutting 15% of middle managers by the first quarter of 2025. In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Jassy defended the move, explaining that when too many people are added to an organization, it leads to excessive middle management. He criticized the corporate culture of endless pre-meetings, emphasizing the need to reduce layers of management and give employees more autonomy.

This shift toward fewer managers has been well-received by Gen Z employees, who prefer self-management over traditional management structures. A survey found that more than half of Gen Z workers would prefer to avoid middle management roles, and many desire career growth without having to take on supervisory responsibilities.

However, Amazon's mandatory return-to-office policy remains controversial. Despite support from AWS CEO Matt Garman, who believes innovation is difficult remotely, many employees have expressed dissatisfaction. This policy has sparked protests, with some employees opting to apply for new jobs in response.

Amazon's move to cut middle managers is part of a broader industry trend known as ‘conscious unbossing,’ where companies aim to reduce managerial oversight to promote more individual growth and efficiency. Other tech giants, including Meta and Google, are also following a similar path.