Amazon gets government notice on voluntary separation programme: What the programme is and other details – Times of India

Last week, Amazon announced that the company will cut jobs across multiple divisions. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in a note to employees, the company will eliminate a number of positions across its Devices and Books businesses. The job cuts are likely to run into thousands and will spill over to 2023, as per the CEO. The layoffs are also set to affect the company’s employees in India. Amazon has announced a voluntary reduction offer for some employees in the company’s People, Experience, and Technology (PXT) organization. The Union labour ministry has sent a notice to Amazon over this Voluntary Separation Programme (VSP). Deputy chief labour commissioner A Anjanappa has asked Amazon India to provide details related to the VSP, and its public policy manager Smitha Sharma has been asked to attend a hearing on November 23.
As per reports, several Indian employees placed in the L1 to L7 band in Amazon’s Experience and Technology team have been asked to leave voluntarily. Amazon has reportedly sent a note to these employees saying that they are eligible for the VSP. According to the company’s note, eligible employees will have the opportunity to resign voluntarily from employment in exchange for VSP benefits.

The VSP has to be submitted via smart forms between November 16 and 30. Employees have time until November 29 to resign, and they can withdraw their application if they change their mind till December 5, as per the internal documents. Amazon will inform employees next month that their resignation has been accepted, and their last day of employment will be December 23.
Amazon VSP: Benefits offered by the company
As per the documents, in exchange for leaving the company, Amazon will provide employees with a “lump-sum” severance payment equal to three months of pay, plus one week of salary for every six months of tenure at the company, the documents said. Employees will also be given a weekly stipend for 12 weeks and their insurance will continue through the end of December.

“We are working to support those who are affected and trying to help them find new roles on teams that have a need; and in cases where that’s not possible, we are offering packages that include a separation payment, transitional health insurance benefits, and external job placement support,” said Jassy in the note to employees.