BuzzFeed Staff Petition for PTO Payouts After Mass Layoffs
Over 400 BuzzFeed employees demand the company pay out earned paid time off to all laid-off U.S. workers, not just those in California. Human resources leadership states they are open to re-evaluating the policy following the 250-person workforce reduction.
More than 400 current and former BuzzFeed employees sign an open letter demanding the company pay out earned paid time off to all recently laid-off U.S. staff. The BuzzFeed News Staff Council points out that the company currently only pays out PTO to employees in California, where state law mandates it, leaving workers in other states without compensation for their accrued vacation time.
The laid-off employees argue that this unused time represents hard work during weekends and holidays, and that the lack of a payout causes immediate financial hardship for bills and student loans. BuzzFeed lays off 250 employees, or 15 percent of its workforce, as part of a strategy to sustain growth without raising additional funding, offering a minimum of 10 weeks of severance pay and benefits through April.
In response to the petition, BuzzFeed's human resources lead Lenke Taylor expresses a willingness to meet with the staff council to discuss the controversy. Taylor states that the company is open to re-evaluating its decision on the PTO practice, but wants to ensure employees understand the tradeoffs involved in changing the policy alongside the provided severance package.