‘This is just business, not personal’: Laid-off employee shares journey from driver to Uber manager
A 10-year Uber veteran who rose from a rideshare driver to a corporate role shared a moving reflection after being caught in the company’s 10% mass layoffs. Finding out via a 4 AM email, he recalled his decade-long journey and urged impacted colleagues to stay hopeful.Uber slashed 10% of its workers in a recent move to simplify its business. (REUTERS)The US-based employee started a LinkedIn post sharing an incident in which he had to cancel an event in August due to a natural disaster. “Everything happens for a reason. I was supposed to fly to Hawaii on Aug 22. The hurricane that hit the islands knocked out our Airbnb, so we canceled and took a staycation.” He continued, “And then, this morning at 4 am my phone rang with an email. I don’t know what possessed me to check it at 4 am, but I did. Everything happens for a reason.”Also Read: Uber layoffs: CEO Dara Khosrowshahi to cut 10% of staff to simplify business. Read full memoThe individual continued that he was impacted the mass layoffs at Uber,, which reduced the workforce 10%. “Today was unfortunately my last day at Uber (unless I can find something on another team). For the last 10+ years that I have been with Uber, I have often said if I had my way I would never work for another company, that I believe in the people, the mission, the product, and the vision. It appears, unfortunately, that I will not get to have my way.”In the following lines, the employee gave a glimpse of his journey with the company. He shared, “I started in January of 2015 as a Rides driver, having gotten my vehicle inspected and signed my J&S forms, and I gave my first ride to a young woman going from a local high school to the mall. As a driver, I participated in promos, and activations, and UberIceCream, and eventually, when it started in October of 2015, UberEats.”Soon after, he shifted to working in the corporate offices after the team running the Eats business in Seattle at that time liked some of his suggestions. However, 18 months after joining, his position was downsized, and he shifted to another team.The man recalled, “Uber sent me on my first international trip ever (didn’t even have a passport!). A panic attack on the plane, and a rough first week, but soon I was making friends that I still visit to this day. Then, on Nov 12, 2018, my birthday of all days, I was laid off in Lightspeed (for those of you who were here and remember). I was 6500 miles from home with minimal support structure, but I was able to scramble and find a role on a fledgling compliance team. That team was GSAT, which became GOC, which is now ECAS.”He continued his work with the new team but was unfortunately impacted the recent layoffs at the company. “To my fellow former Uber employees impacted today, be proud of what we built, this is just business, it’s not personal, and we’ll all find a path. The sun will rise tomorrow, as rough as today was. I’ll miss all of you still there, and wish you all the best.”Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi informed employees of a 10% staff reduction in a company-wide memo. He stated that the decision, which will impact nearly 3,300 jobs, was taken to redirect resources towards growth and new technology.(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Hindustantimes.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
