'Check email before coming to office': Amazon employees receive layoff SMS at 3am

An Amazon employee reportedly received a layoff notification at 3 am, sparking fresh outrage over Big Tech’s brutal work culture. The late-night exit message went viral alongside another emotional post from a former FAANG worker who said leaving the high-pressure world — even involuntarily — finally allowed them to “breathe” and sleep peacefully after years of stress.

In one viral Reddit post, a user joked about Microsoft Outlook suddenly failing at 3 am, writing, “Meanwhile, Outlook isn’t working. We love to see it. 3 am is nasty work.” The message read: "From Amazon: Before coming to the office, check personal/work email, including spam, for a message on your role."

The post captured a familiar frustration among professionals who find themselves tethered to late-night deadlines and relentless work demands. But another post took a more emotional turn. A former FAANG employee shared how the constant pressure pushed them — and a close friend — out of the coveted tech world.

The friend resigned voluntarily and returned home, describing newfound happiness. The poster, however, was forced to leave, facing job loss and visa uncertainty. Yet, despite financial fear, they wrote that the exit finally brought peace.

Recalling a conversation about a “wall theory” — where outsiders fight desperately to enter a prestigious space while insiders quietly wish to escape — the user said FAANG life often mirrors that struggle. “For the first time in a long time, I could finally breathe,” they wrote, adding that they finally slept deeply after leaving.

The posts reflect a growing conversation around burnout in tech, where dream jobs often clash with the reality of long hours, intense pressure, and emotional strain — especially for immigrant workers navigating visa rules.

Amazon layoffs 2025

Amazon eliminated around 14,000 jobs as of Tuesday, according to a blog by Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology. The tech giant said that the job cuts were a part of efforts to streamline the company's operations and "innovating at a rapid rate".

"The reductions we're sharing today are a continuation of this work to get even stronger by further reducing bureaucracy, removing layers, and shifting resources to ensure we're investing in our biggest bets and what matters most to our customers' current and future needs."

The layoffs have impacted multiple divisions including logistics, payments, video games, and cloud computing, as per media reports.