Thread regarding Wayfair Inc. layoffs

I worked for Wayfair for over 10 years - since CSN - with a solid track record - starting big programs for them, consistently a top performer, driving hundreds of millions of profitable dollars for them, and then boom, they cut the cord on me in a "private" layoff (vs. in a room with everyone else) on the same day. This was two weeks after I had an honest conversation with my director (who had also been there 10+ years) and let them know I was interested in seeking an internal position that better aligned with my background and skill set - where I could lend more value to drive results for the company. This was a candid conversation, and was for the benefit of not only me but the team I was on (which, by the way, had a tremendous amount of turnover in a very short time with questionable leadership). The way that they approached this conversation (radio silence) and ultimate layoff for me was a very interesting (I could use other words to describe...) leadership call. Not only was it bad communication and an all around lack of human decency, I was just about to hit very big vesting dates on grants that were gifted to me for being a top performer in all my other roles, which I had worked very hard for and gave my all, it was emotionally taxing. They did this without notifying the GMs or CMOs of the brands I worked directly for who were all shocked. I wasn't able to say goodbye to the numerous colleagues and friends I had made over the years, or even say thank you in person to mentors who had meant a lot and taught me a lot. This was probably the saddest part for me. I walked out in tears with everyone to see (open floor plan) and my direct report and team member had to pack up my desk and bring them to me later in the day. Within an hour, I had over 100 texts and calls from co-workers and suppliers who were shocked I was part of the layoffs questioning why, how did this happen, how could they treat someone like that...

If you want to be a doormat - go for it, but don't say I didn't warned you.
If you want to be treated like a human being, my advice is to seek an alternate employer.

First they recruit you: then they use you until you are a rag; then goodbye without any humanity. Company has very little respect for their middle management workers and below.
While working there they abused their power over their employess work hours without regard for their own rules let alone employment law. So little or no real time off.
Human Relations authority was a joke. Totally there to CYA. Owners must be absent of any integrity.
Not a long term work relationship to be had by any measure. Capricious direction given on even
small issues.
They seemed to manipulate the less than intellectually capable individuals into slave like hours. When you get close to any vestiture you are let go.
They will make a scapegoat out of you in a heart beat.

Just laid off today from Wayfair due to a "restructuring". Inability of Regional leaders to coordinate and ineffective Directors have lead to a very Walmart like culture without the structure. You'll be working 24/7 with no leadership respecting your time. I literally had my boss blowing up my phone while my wife was going into labor. A lot of management not happy with the BLM approach the company is attempting to take. Kind of weird for an e-commerce company to have so many backwards thinking leaders. Diversity is lackluster on the distribution side. Majority of leadership Caucasian white males. Majority with no experience. From a racial standpoint if you have even an inkling of competence and you dare to disagree there will be a target on you. Truly disappointing. Sadly, I started at the facility just prior to Covid hitting so I was not able to experience the full Wayfair culture at their corporate office. I'd heard quite a few positive pieces to it. I applaud the company as a whole for taking the correct approach on BLM, but disappointed at the regional leaders that don't even dare to acknowledge it outside of mandated meetings.

I was one of the people let go and am starting to discover that many of us were hired into positions that were already eliminated before our start dates. That is due either to incredibly inept management or to the fact that they need to reflect certain job numbers to keep their tax breaks.

We were let go by video conference, our immediate supervisors were not informed - they left it up to us to deliver the news, and they have job postings online as we speak for some of the positions people were just let go from.

The business is a sham, selling many of the same identical products you find at places like WalMart except on Wayfair they are a few times the cost and conveniently renamed.

You can only carry on so long when everything is a front.

Any company that does not own the product is going to have this issue. Amazon succeeded because it did not have competition and continued to diversify. We see the same story with Uber, Lyft, WeWork, WayFair, MoviePass, etc. All of these companies are simply middlemen. There is little money in such a company. There is a reason why Netflix makes its own stuff.

@ECT: You seem to have Stockholm Syndrome. Get some help.

I have been a contractor for Wayfair for over nine years in Kentucky. When they started in Kentucky as CSN stores, they only had 35 employees and now they have approximately 1000 in Kentucky. Only 3 people in Kentucky were let go to my knowledge in Kentucky. It is sad when someone is let go, but no one is guaranteed tomorrow more less a job. I have personally witness many hard workers move up the ladder and are paid very well for their duties, myself and my employees included. Reading these comments on this form saddens me. People writing on this post are very ungrateful and disrespectful to a company who I will always be greatful to. Wayfair could end my contact tomorrow and I would never say a bad word about them. If anything, I would thank them and praise them for giving me the honor for working for them. I hope one day I will get the chance to meet the two founders, so I can tell them how greatful I am to work for them. If my company would ever fold and or I sold it. I would go work for Wayfair. Because I know it's a company to work for.

The biggest issue with the company is myopic, unqualified leadership, so it’s surprising that only L1-L3s were affected. They need to clean some serious house with L4+, at least in Talent Acquisition. 95% of them add zero value to anything, while collecting a hefty (well for wayfair anyway lol) paycheck.

I did was not laid off on Feb 13. But, I worked for the company for 3 years and then quit in July, 2019 as the leadership continuwd to push c-appy China-consolidation and delivery process.
I understand the woes of those who were laid off. But, at the cost of employee pain if the company was at least customer focused, it would have a chance to do well.
Also, I am privy to information that they wanted to stagger the layoff into multiple rounds to sustain business continuity. Hence, wait for the next round of Layoffs in May.

Obviously...nobody wants to buy furniture online and most of the stuff they sell is tacky, uncomfortable fashion furniture.

They are nothing more than a logistics company. God forbid you question where their inefficiencies are. Leadership there is a joke. Lots of them have no experience beyond Wayfair and were promoted based on tenure. You can tell when you interview with them.

I don't think they used a last in, first out policy. I was also let go and joined recently, but others who joined at the same time as me or after me are still there.

Wow! I have ordered many products from Wayfair. After reading all of these stories I'm boycotting and will spread these stories to all my friends. I'm sorry to hear this. What a sh– company!! Good luck to you with a better company and glad you didn't waste too much time with Wayfair.