{
  "id": 3758412,
  "title": "We laid him off. Then we hired him back",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/we-laid-him-off-then-we-hired-him-back",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-27T15:06:37.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fortune",
    "slug": "fortune",
    "url": "https://fortune.com/2026/08/27/we-laid-him-off-then-we-hired-him-back/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In May, Syndio eliminated several positions as part of a company redesign. One of the individuals let go was Jonathan Vidales, a labor economist who had been with the company for five years. Simultaneously, other roles were redefined, and employees were asked to take on additional responsibilities and quotas, anticipating that they would not object. The company believed that employees would find the beefed-up roles with higher earning potential to be a no-brainer. However, within a few months, several employees who were expected to stay resigned, leading to the loss of valuable talent. Jonathan Vidales returned to the company in August after applying for a newly-opened role. He expressed feeling \"sneaking back in the house after I got kicked out\" when he discovered that the cold, corporate restructuring announcement was still in his inbox. Vidales emphasized the impersonal nature of the announcement, which had previously informed him about layoffs affecting colleagues who had lost their jobs. He expressed disappointment in the lack of acknowledgment for those who were leaving. Despite the challenges, Vidales reiterated the importance of valuing people and the skills, experience, and institutional knowledge they bring to the table. He highlighted how AI-attributed cuts have peaked, with US employers announcing 97,000 job cuts in May, with 40% of them being blamed on AI. Companies are moving too quickly to reorganize around AI, often undervaluing existing employees and missing the potential for AI to make experienced people even more valuable. The story serves as a reminder that organizations should invest in training and creating a path for employees to adapt and evolve with the changing business landscape.",
  "summary": "When we rehired Jonathan at Syndio, he logged back in and found our cold, corporate restructuring announcement still sitting in his inbox. Gut punch.",
  "key_points": [
    "Syndio laid off several positions in May as part of a company redesign.",
    "Jonathan Vidales, a labor economist, was among those let go but returned in August."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}