SAN FRANCISCO – Amazon experienced a notable misstep on Tuesday when an internal email prematurely alerted AWS employees to upcoming layoffs scheduled for Wednesday morning. The email, which was sent in error, included a team-wide meeting invitation and a message of solidarity, revealing that the company planned to reduce its workforce as part of a broader restructuring effort.
Details of the Incident
The email, signed by Colleen Aubrey, Senior Vice President of Applied AI Solutions at AWS, mistakenly informed impacted employees in the U.S., Canada, and Costa Rica that they had already been notified of their job losses. The message also referenced “Project Dawn,” the internal code name for the layoffs, and included remarks on the difficulty of making such decisions to prepare the organization for future success.
In Slack messages reviewed by Reuters, AWS employees who received the email reported that the scheduled Wednesday meeting was almost immediately canceled, indicating the mistake was quickly recognized internally.
Background on the Layoffs
Reuters reported earlier that Amazon intends to lay off thousands of corporate staff starting this week, though the company has not officially confirmed or communicated the full scope of the layoffs. The broader plan aims to cut approximately 30,000 jobs, following a previous reduction of about 14,000 employees in October.
The layoffs are part of Amazon’s strategy to streamline operations amid increased automation and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). The company has linked these workforce reductions to efforts to reduce bureaucracy and optimize efficiency across units including AWS, retail, Prime Video, and human resources.
Recent Changes and Future Outlook
On Tuesday, Amazon also cut jobs in its Fresh grocery and Go market divisions as it prepares to close some physical stores and convert others into Whole Foods locations. The number of affected employees in these divisions has not been disclosed.
While the full extent of Wednesday’s job cuts remains unclear, the planned reductions in 30,000 roles would represent roughly 10% of Amazon’s corporate workforce, which totals approximately 1.58 million employees.
In a previous October blog post, Amazon tied similar job reductions to the increased integration of AI technology, with HR head Beth Galetti indicating more cuts could be expected in the future. The recent internal email referencing that blog post has yet to be published on Amazon’s official website.
Company Response
Amazon has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the internal email mishap or the ongoing layoffs.