Report: Amazon laying off 80 workers in pharmacy division

After multiple rounds of mass layoffs in less than a year, Amazon is reportedly trimming its headcount once again.

According to a report by Semafor, which was posted on Yahoo! News, the e-commerce giant cut approximately 80 jobs in its pharmacy division on July 13.

People familiar with the matter claim that pharmacy technicians and team leads were affected by the reduction. It remains unclear if any Canadian employees were let go.

“Although eliminating roles is always difficult, we are making these changes now to keep investing in improving the customer experience, which will strengthen our business for the long term,” Kelvin Downes, director of fulfillment at Amazon Pharmacy, wrote in a note to staff that was obtained by Semafor.

A spokesperson added in an email that the company has been “closely monitoring economic conditions and [its] organizational needs, and [has] made the decision to adjust resources.”

Amazon launched its online pharmacy service in November 2020.

In a blog post, the company claims that it created Amazon Pharmacy to “reduce the barriers that prevent people from receiving the medication they need.”

Major tech layoffs continue

Semafor’s report on job cuts at Amazon comes amid a flurry of tech sector layoffs in 2023.

Several big names, including Microsoft, Ritual, Spotify, Lyft, Dropbox, Meta, Alphabet, and Dell, are significantly scaling back their staffing levels as they continue to navigate challenging economic conditions.

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Termination agreements for Amazon employees

In Canada, non-unionized employees at Amazon are owed full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing or corporate restructuring.

This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, or hourly in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.

Severance can be as much as 24 months’ pay, depending on a number of factors.

LEARN MORE
• Severance for technology industry employees
• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Severance packages in mass layoffs

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains what rights employees have if they are being fired or let go on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Before you accept any severance offer, have an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP review it and your employment contract.

We can tell you if what you have been provided is fair and how to get proper severance if it falls short of what you are actually owed.

If you don’t receive the full amount, which happens often, you have been wrongfully dismissed and are entitled to compensation.

In some cases, employers pressure staff into accepting poor severance packages, such as imposing a deadline for accepting the offer.

Non-unionized employees in Canada have up to two years from the date of their dismissal to pursue a claim for full severance pay.