Amazon has sent out "voluntary severance" offers to some current employees as the company looks to rein in costs, CNBC reported Nov. 16.
Internal documents from the company showed the retail giant sent out voluntary severance offers on Nov. 15 and Nov. 16 to some divisions, including human resources and employee services.
In exchange for leaving the company, employees will receive a "lump-sum" severance payment equal to three months of pay, plus one week of salary for every six months of tenure at the company.
Employees will also receive a weekly stipend for 12 weeks, which can be used to offset COBRA premiums, and their insurance will continue through the end of December.
Amazon has asked employees to resign by Nov. 29, with a last day of employment set for Dec. 23.
Employees who take the offer have until Dec. 5 to withdraw their application.
According to the documents, the volunteer severance program is a "first step" to realign businesses within Amazon, indicating that the divisions could undergo layoffs in the near future.
CEO Andy Jassy commented on the layoffs in a Nov. 17 Amazon blog post stating that the company has weathered "uncertainty and difficult economies" in the past, and is continuing to face them.
"It's not lost on me or any of the leaders who make these decisions that these aren't just roles we're eliminating, but rather, people with emotions, ambitions, and responsibilities whose lives will be impacted," Mr. Jassy wrote. "We are working to support those who are affected and trying to help them find new roles on teams that have a need; and in cases where that's not possible, we are offering packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits and external job placement support."
This announcement comes after a report revealed that the company is thinking about eliminating as many as 10,000 jobs.
)
