Former Amazon engineer says he broke down after unexpected layoff amid confusion over support

An Amazon employee who was laid off in the company’s recent round of job cuts has spoken about the emotional and financial impact of losing his role and criticised the way the organisation communicated post-layoff support. John Paul Martinez, a 35-year-old technical support engineer based in Orlando, informed Business Insider that he had spent three years at Amazon before receiving an unexpected 5am email informing him that his employment had ended.

He said he had been extremely surprised by the move, adding that there had been no indication of large-scale layoffs, particularly as the holiday season approached. He stated that the shock of the morning eventually caught up with him later that evening, explaining that he broke down as he tried to grasp what had happened and worried about mounting expenses including a mortgage, car payments, credit card bills and his father’s medical costs.

Martinez informed the publication that he is now seeking new employment but is deeply concerned about competition in the job market following major layoffs across Amazon and other corporations. When the company announced the cuts in late October, it pledged 90 days of full pay and benefits for affected employees.

However, Martinez stated that his experience has not reflected those assurances. He said the organisation had done a poor job communicating details relating to benefits, stock options, severance packages and job placement assistance, leaving many former employees uncertain about the support available to them.