Jack Dorsey laid off 4,000 employees at his tech firm, Block, last month, and a few LinkedIn posts claim some of those fired workers were quietly rehired. While some said they were rehired immediately after the February layoff, others rejoined the company in March. Although several social media posts claim rehiring, neither the company nor the CEO has made any official comments about it.
What did the LinkedIn posts say?
A creative strategy lead working at Block wrote, “Relieved to share that I was asked to rejoin Block and started back this week. To everyone who reached out with encouragement, references, job recs, job opportunities, or Zelda tips, just know it meant more than I can adequately express. I owe you all a beer, a hug, and probably both.”
A designer engineer who first posted about being among those impacted by the layoffs later updated that the company rehired him, citing that his firing was due to a “clerical error”.
“Block leadership informed me that my layoff was due to a clerical error. They offered me the opportunity to return, and I’ve accepted. I’m grateful for the encouragement and outreach from so many of you after my initial post. It meant a great deal. To my former colleagues continuing to face the reality of layoffs, please feel welcome to contact me directly for support. I will make time to help you with whatever you need.”
{{/usCountry}}“Block leadership informed me that my layoff was due to a clerical error. They offered me the opportunity to return, and I’ve accepted. I’m grateful for the encouragement and outreach from so many of you after my initial post. It meant a great deal. To my former colleagues continuing to face the reality of layoffs, please feel welcome to contact me directly for support. I will make time to help you with whatever you need.”
{{/usCountry}}A senior technical lead recently shared that his entire team, except for himself, was laid off. Following the terminations, he informed leadership that he could not handle the team’s collective responsibilities alone.
“I spent a lot of Monday and Tuesday convincing leadership that my coworkers are necessary for the company's success and that I couldn't do this job alone. I'm happy to share that they listened to my requests and have decided to re-hire some of the those laid off. While my teams were not returned to full levels, I'll have enough to continue on. “
He added, “Thanks again to everyone who reached out with kind words. It really means a lot to know such great folks; that bonds in this industry aren't as shallow as some portray. I'm also thankful to have sincere, strong leaders who are willing to listen to my concerns and rectify the situation. I've spoken with them personally and extended my gratitude.”
Why did Block lay off 4,000 employees?
In a tweet last month, Jack Dorsey announced reducing Block's workforce “by nearly half”. He insisted that the business was not in trouble and was strong, attributing the shift to increased creation, usage, and reliance on "intelligence tools."