Oracle’s largest-ever round of layoffs didn’t come with a phone call, a meeting, or a conversation with a manager. It came as an email. Sent from “Oracle Leadership” at 6AM in the US (3:30 PM IST), the message opened with five words that thousands of employees woke up to on March 31: “We are sharing some difficult news.” The email informed employees their roles had been eliminated as part of a “broader organizational change” following what Oracle called a “careful consideration” of its business needs. The next line was blunt—”today is your last working day.” No transition period, no buffer.Some 10,000 people are believed to have lost their jobs so far, according to a employees who’ve been tracking a drop in staff active on Oracle’s internal Slack. TD Cowen estimates the total could reach 20,000 to 30,000—roughly 18% of Oracle’s 162,000-strong workforce.
The email asked employees to act fast—before losing access to everything
After a one-line expression of gratitude for their “dedication, hard work, and impact,” the email moved straight to logistics. Employees were told they’d be eligible for a severance package, but only after signing termination paperwork sent via DocuSign to their Oracle email.The clock was already ticking, though. The email warned that access to computers, email, voicemail, and files would be “deactivated soon”—giving employees a narrow window to act. They were asked to immediately submit a personal email address through a linked form so Oracle could send FAQs and separation documents. The email also carried a firm reminder: employees are “prohibited from downloading, copying or retaining” any Oracle confidential information, including emailing files to themselves.CNBC confirmed the layoffs were in the thousands, citing two people familiar with the matter. Michael Shepherd, a senior Oracle manager who was not affected, wrote on LinkedIn that the cuts hit “senior engineers, architects, operations leaders, program managers, and technical specialists” and were not based on performance. Posts on Reddit’s r/employeesOfOracle and Blind painted a similar picture, with teams across Oracle Health, Cloud, Sales, Customer Success, NetSuite IDC, RHS, and SVOS all affected.
No HR, no manager, no conversation—just a sign-off from ‘Oracle Leadership’
The email ended with a thank-you and directed questions to Oracle’s Ask HR page or a toll-free number. No specific HR contact, no manager’s name, no explanation of why specific roles were chosen. The sign-off simply read: “Oracle Leadership.”Oracle’s stock is down 25% this year and has lost over half its value since peaking in September 2025. The company has taken on $58 billion in new debt in two months to fund its AI data centre buildout, and executives have said the investment will pay off over time. Oracle declined to comment on the layoffs.
Read the full layoff email from Oracle’s leadership
We are sharing some difficult news regarding your position.After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change. As a result, today is your last working day.We are grateful for your dedication, hard work, and the impact you have made during your time with us.After signing your termination paperwork, you will be eligible to receive a severance package subject to the terms and conditions of the severance plan. You will receive an email from DocuSign to your Oracle email address with details on your severance and termination date.Immediate Action RequiredTo receive important follow-up information, including FAQs and separation documents to help you through this transition, you must provide a personal email address.Please click here to submit a personal email address immediately. If you make a submission error, please re-submit a new form. Please Note: The personal email address will only be used for correspondence regarding separation-related information and severance agreements.Access to your computer, email, voicemail, and files will be deactivated soon, and you will be unable to log into your computer. As a reminder, you are prohibited from downloading, copying or retaining (including emailing yourself) any Oracle confidential information.Thank you for your contributions to our organization. If you have additional questions, please reach out to the HR team via the Ask HR page or at (888) 404-2494.Oracle Leadership
