Stellantis will lay off 400 white-collar workers in the tech, software, and engineering fields effective March 31.
The layoffs come after the company scored record profits last year and represent 2% of the workforce in those areas.
“Stellantis continues to make the appropriate structural decisions across the enterprise to optimize our cost structure,” the company stated.
Many of the workers found out Friday morning during a surprising “mandatory remote work day” announced on Thursday.
They were informed that the carmaker would be “holding important operational meetings that require specific attention.”
“To ensure everyone can effectively participate,” the notice said, “we have decided to implement a mandatory remote work day.”
Consequently, employees were “expected to work from home unless otherwise instructed by your manager.”
During the remote meeting on Friday, they were informed that they were being laid off.
The affected employees will receive transition assistance and a “comprehensive separation package.”
One mechanical engineer who was fired said, “It was a mass firing of everybody that was on the call.”
Plus, employees suspect that the real reason behind the layoffs involved a push to move jobs to “low-cost countries.” Stellantis is outsourcing many jobs to India, Mexico, and Brazil.
