Coronavirus | Firm lays off 406 workers in two-minute Zoom call

During the current coronavirus crisis, employers have had to respond quickly to the uncertain future of the economy, with many putting in place wage cuts or making the decision to furlough staff in order to protect the future of the company and jobs.

For example, US department store Macy’s recently furloughed the majority of its 125,000 staff members, while CEO of the media company BuzzFeed, Jonah Peretti, revealed he would not take home a salary until the pandemic had blown over.

One company has since come under fire for its decision to layoff 30% of its staff. According to Corporate Rebels, electric scooter company Bird, decided to reduce this number of employees in order to ‘extend its runway’, however, it is the way in which the business relayed the news that has been met with criticism.

406 employees reportedly received an invitation to join a Zoom conference call called ‘COVID-19 Update’. Employees were then met with a five-minute silence and a slide that read ‘COVID-19’.