Jennifer Tejada, CEO of PagerDuty, cites MLK in layoff memo
The head of a San Francisco-based cloud computing company was widely mocked on social media when she sent an email to employees announcing layoffs and quoting the late Martin Luther King Jr.
Jennifer Tejada, CEO of PagerDuty, was criticized for being “deaf” after she sent a lengthy 1,669 word email to its employees announcing that the company would be “refining” its business structure by cutting 7% of its global workforce.
Tejada ended the memo with a quote from a sermon delivered by King, which was later included in the 1959 book “The Measure of a Man.”
“I remember at times like this, something Martin Luther King said, that ‘the last measure of a [leader] it’s not where [they] stand at moments of comfort and convenience, but where [they] standing up in times of challenge and controversy,’” Tejada wrote.
The cold-hearted executive was immediately burned on social media.
One Twitter user commented that it was “the dullest firing email I’ve read so far,” adding that it “sounds like it was written by an AI that took all the phrases people say and put them into one long email.” . .”
One Twitter user offered some advice to PagerDuty, writing: “Maybe don’t cite MLK when laying off 7% of your workforce?”
Another Twitter user posted a screenshot of a Google search showing Tejada’s annual salary at $13.2 million.
“Did Pagerduty seriously decide it was a good idea to quote MLK in a press release where they are laying off 7% of their workforce?” asked another Twitter user.
The 7% “refinement” meant the company laid off 66 people out of the 950 it employed a year ago.
Tejada was also criticized for using the occasion to celebrate employee promotions and tout the company’s positive financial results in the fourth quarter of last year.
Last month, PagerDuty reported that it generated revenue of $94.2 million in the most recent quarter, up 31.3% year-over-year. The company also said that its net loss for the same quarter amounted to $32.8 million, which was higher than a year earlier.
“We hope to finish the year strong; in fact, today we have reaffirmed our guidance for fiscal year 23, and those results, combined with the improvements described above, put PagerDuty in a strong position to successfully execute our platform strategy, no matter what the situation. it brings the market and the macro environment,” Tejada wrote in the email earlier this week.
The Post has sought comment from PagerDuty.
Tejada seemed to try to show sensitivity towards those who were laid off, writing: “I consider Dutonians more than employees; they are deeply talented and accomplished individuals who #BringThemselves and drive the innovation and culture behind our products and services to deliver experiences that delight our customers.”
“I appreciate the contribution of each and every Dutonian to PagerDuty,” the CEO wrote.
“It is my expectation that we show all of our colleagues the grace, respect and dignity that they have earned.”
Tejada wrote that “as someone who has worked in this industry for decades, I have experienced this before and it is never easy, and I also know from experience that while we may not be working together anytime soon, our relationships and this community live longer. beyond our tenure at PagerDuty.”
Those who were canned will receive compensation with an average of 11 weeks of payment, as well as extended medical coverage for them and their dependents “for a minimum of three to four months.”
Laid off employees were also promised assistance with future job placements.
The technology industry has been hit hard by the economic downturn, forcing companies to lay off tens of thousands.
A former Google employee posted a TikTok video this week which showed the moment he learned he was one of the 12,000 employees the tech giant laid off.
Other tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Twitter, Meta and Snap have too laid off a large number of employees In recent months.