Laid-off Oracle employees seek better severance terms but face company refusal

May 8, 2026

AI Summary

Following a mass layoff affecting 20,000 to 30,000 employees, Oracle's severance package has drawn criticism for being less favorable than those offered by other tech companies. Employees attempted to negotiate better terms, but Oracle declined to engage in discussions.

Oracle laid off an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 employees via email on March 31. Employees reported immediate account deactivation and subsequent termination notices. Severance offers included four weeks of pay plus one week for each year of service, capped at 26 weeks, and one month of COBRA insurance.
A significant issue was the treatment of restricted stock units (RSUs), which were not accelerated for employees, leading to substantial losses for some, including one employee who forfeited $1 million in stock.
Employees classified as remote were reportedly ineligible for WARN Act protections, which require advance notice for mass layoffs. This classification was sometimes unclear to employees who worked hybrid schedules.
A group of at least 90 employees attempted to negotiate severance terms similar to those offered by other tech firms, such as Meta and Microsoft, which provided more generous packages.
Oracle's response to the negotiation efforts was to maintain its original severance terms without negotiation. The company did not comment on the severance terms or the negotiation attempts.

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Laid-off Oracle employees seek better severance terms but face company refusal

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