Amazon's global layoffs have caused panic among employees at its Hyderabad office, with nearly all departments affected and some teams halved in size, leading to fears of job insecurity and concerns over sudden terminations without prior notice.
Starbucks is closing hundreds of stores across the U.S., including several in the Chicago area, as part of its Back to Starbucks restructuring plan aimed at improving performance and customer experience. The closures, which will reduce the total number of stores and involve significant costs and layoffs, have met with disappointment from employees and community members.
Health insurance costs in the U.S. are set to rise by the largest percentage in 15 years in 2025, driven by higher healthcare prices and increased utilization, prompting many employers to implement cost-shifting strategies like higher deductibles, which will also impact employees' out-of-pocket expenses.
AT&T is consolidating 22 help-desk centers into six locations, requiring affected managers to decide within two weeks whether to relocate or face layoffs, amid broader cost-cutting and organizational changes driven by leadership's shift to a market-based culture and efficiency improvements.
ZeniMax employees criticize Microsoft's recent mass layoffs, describing the process as inhumane and chaotic, with significant emotional and practical impacts on staff, despite Microsoft's public messaging of success and growth. Union support has helped mitigate some effects, but morale remains low amid ongoing industry layoffs.
SmileDirectClub has abruptly closed down its operations, leaving hundreds of employees without jobs and uncertain about their benefits. The company, which marketed dental aligners as an affordable alternative to braces, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September. Employees were informed of the closure on December 8, with little notice or support. The impact on customers is also significant, as the Lifetime Smile Guarantee is no longer valid, and refunds are uncertain.
Deaconess Health has closed all three of its Diabetes Centers, with education services now being offered by patients' primary care providers. Enrolled patients have been provided with information about other local and online resources for diabetes prevention and education. The closure has only impacted six jobs, with affected employees encouraged to apply for other positions within Deaconess.