Microsoft: Layoffs, Outsourcing, and R.T.O. as Cover for Mass Layoffs Without Severance Pay
A FEW HOURS ago a Microsoft propaganda site [1] commented on "a terrible time" and focused on Microsoft. At the same time we saw RTO as layoffs strategy at Microsoft (the workers have long complained about this at Microsoft's gaming studios, as per letters we reproduced here, so it's not just Amazon RTO, which recently received some media backlash for it). They speak of "outsourcing policies" [2] and the goal seems to be the same as in Intel. They try to do things that encourage people to leave without compensation, which in turn lowers the number of people they need to formally lay off (while telling the press some incomplete and misleading numbers).
There's more information in [3-6] below, "fresh" or hot off the press.
We'll let readers decide what the heck is happening there, bearing the anonymous rumours (above) in mind. Microsoft had mass layoffs pretty much every month this year. Some months Microsoft hid it, but the press caught up (eventually). █
Related/contextual items from the news:
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Microsoft layoffs: A look back into a terrible time for tech industry
Then, in June, Microsoft laid off more employees in the Azure department despite successes in AI and cloud. That’s the third round already, in which around 1,500 were reportedly affected. And in September, a few more hundred in the gaming division (corporate and support roles) also had their jobs cut.
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ZeniMax union workers strike in protest of Microsoft remote work and outsourcing policies
Hundreds of unionized ZeniMax Studios employees are striking today in response to Microsoft's remote woking policy and decision to continue outsourcing quality assurance work.
The Communication Workers of America (CWA) shared the news in a press release and explained the one-day strike will be taking place at ZeniMax locations in both Maryland and Texas. ZeniMax is the parent company of well known studios including Deathloop developer Arkane and The Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda.
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Fallout, Elder Scrolls, and Doom Developers Strike Against Microsoft’s Unfair Practices!
Why are ZeniMax workers taking a stand now? The strike underscores the urgent need for fair negotiations. With over 300 quality assurance workers involved, this protest signals a pivotal moment in the gaming industry. Workers are advocating for their rights amid rising concerns about job security and working conditions.
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Fallout and Doom Developers Are On Strike Against Microsoft
This is not the first strike caused by the Microsoft return-to-office policy. Two weeks ago, Activision workers in Texas, Minnesota and California rallied outside the company's offices to support disabled colleagues against the new rules.
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Hundreds of ZeniMax workers strike over Microsoft outsourcing, remote work policies
Hundreds of staff at Bethesda parent company ZeniMax will go on strike today in protest at parent company Microsoft outsourcing work without bargaining with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union.
The one-day walkout by staff who work on Fallout, Starfield and Doom will be held today, Wednesday 13th November, from 10am to 6pm local time at four ZeniMax Studios offices in Maryland and Texas.
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Hundreds of ZeniMax workers go on strike to protest Microsoft 'dragging their feet' on negotiations over job security and remote work
Microsoft, which acquired Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media in 2021, has indeed played a large role in those industry-wide layoffs. The company cut 1,900 people from its gaming division in January 2024, and followed that up with 650 more in September, which Xbox head Phil Spencer said at the time was necessary to ensure "sustainable future growth."