EFFECT OF COVID-19 LOCKDOWN: INTERNATIONAL CAB BRAND GOES DRASTIC; FIRES 14% OF ITS EMPLOYEES IN JUST 3 MINUTES!

Uber Technologies had announced last week that it will lay off close to 3,700 full-timers. This move was claimed necessary as the company had to respond to the economic challenges and uncertainty that has been posed by the on-going coronavirus pandemic.

The company fired 3,700 employees, which makes up for 14% of the organisation’s total workforce, via zoom calls. It has been said that each of these calls lasted only for or less than 3 minutes with one common message, “Today will be your last working day with Uber.”

The Daily Mail reported that Ruffin Chaveleau, head of Uber’s Pheonix Centre of Excellence said, “Right now, the rides business is down by more than half due to COVID-19. The difficult and unfortunate reality is there is not enough work for many front-line customer-support employees," to the employees over a video call.

"With the reality of our rides trips volumes being down significantly, our need for communication operations, as well as in-person support, is down substantially. And with our hiring freeze, there simply isn't enough work for recruiters," Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi wrote in a letter to staff. "We've focused on providing the clearest, most empathetic experience, possible and have put together a strong severance package and other benefits."

In a statement the company stated that its customers will have access to e-bikes and e-scooters. The company also added that it has invested more than 85 million dollars in Lime.