tech
May 8, 2026
Laid-off Oracle workers tried to negotiate better severance. Oracle said no.
Some found out they didn't qualify for WARN Act protections like two-months notice because the company had classified them as remote workers.
TL;DR
- Oracle laid off an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 employees on March 31.
- Severance packages offered four weeks of pay plus one additional week per year of service, capped at 26 weeks, and one month of COBRA insurance.
- Employees forfeited unvested stock compensation, including retention incentives and stock tied to promotions.
- Some remote workers were denied WARN Act protections, which require two months' notice for mass layoffs, as the company sidestepped minimum location requirements.
- A group of employees petitioned Oracle for improved severance matching other tech companies, but the company declined to negotiate.
- Oracle declined to comment on its severance terms, remote worker classifications, and the failed negotiation attempts.