Lock-outs, mass emails, closed offices: Virtual layoffs are normal now

When an employee with Amazon's gaming unit tried to sign in for work last Tuesday, she found her access to most internal systems had been revoked. Her calendar had been cleared, except for a 15-minute meeting labeled "Organizational Update."

During the meeting, a manager read from a corporate script as he explained her position had been eliminated. The conversation felt impersonal after the years she'd spent with the company.