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Jack Dorsey’s Block employee says ‘stellar review in morning, laid off by evening’ after 4,000 job cuts
Jack Dorsey’s Block employee said he got a stellar review in the morning and was laid off hours later as the company cut 4,000 jobs.
Tech entrepreneur Jack Dorsey has announced that his tech company Block will reduce its workforce by nearly half, cutting more than 4,000 jobs. The decision has sparked conversations online after an employee shared a candid reaction to the news.
Taking to X, a user named Jamie Selects wrote, "Damn today has been crazy. Got a stellar performance review in the AM. Laid off in the PM. After 10 years of service. But vibes are high! Will share more thoughts in the coming days." The post quickly drew attention, with many users expressing sympathy and surprise at the sudden turn of events.
Take a look here at the post:
‘One of the hardest decisions in our history’
In a detailed note to employees, later posted online, Dorsey described the move as one of the most difficult decisions in the company’s history.
“Today we're making one of the hardest decisions in the history of our company: we're reducing our organization by nearly half, from over 10,000 people to just under 6,000. That means over 4,000 of you are being asked to leave or entering into consultation. I'll be straight about what's happening, why, and what it means for everyone,” he wrote.
The co founder emphasised that the layoffs were not driven by financial distress.
Why cut 4,000 roles?
Addressing concerns, Dorsey clarified, “We're not making this decision because we're in trouble. Our business is strong. Gross profit continues to grow, we continue to serve more and more customers, and profitability is improving. But something has changed. We're already seeing that the intelligence tools we’re creating and using, paired with smaller and flatter teams, are enabling a new way of working which fundamentally changes what it means to build and run a company. And that's accelerating rapidly.”
He indicated that increased reliance on intelligence tools and leaner teams has reshaped how the company operates.
Message to those leaving and staying
Speaking directly to affected employees, Dorsey said, “To those of you leaving… I'm grateful for you, and I'm sorry to put you through this. you built what this company is today. That's a fact that I'll honor forever. This decision is not a reflection of what you contributed. You will be a great contributor to any organization going forward.”
For those remaining, he added, “To those staying… I made this decision, and I'll own it. What I'm asking of you is to build with me. We're going to build this company with intelligence at the core of everything we do.”
Dorsey also assured departing staff that they would not be immediately removed from internal systems. “We're not going to just disappear people from slack and email and pretend they were never here. Communication channels will stay open through Thursday evening pacific so everyone can say goodbye properly,” he said, acknowledging that the process may feel “awkward and human” rather than “efficient and cold”.
