TripActions, a well-funded corporate travel startup, laid off nearly 300 employees in London, Sydney and six U.S. offices two weeks ago, many of whom were informed in a Zoom videoconference call. But their 133 colleagues in Amsterdam got to keep their jobs.
TripActions plans to apply for emergency funding from the Dutch government that would cover a portion of employees’ salaries, said Ariel Cohen, the company’s CEO. The startup’s checkerboard approach to job cuts isn’t unique. As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the world, Europe-based tech workers so far have largely been spared the abrupt layoffs—and loss of benefits—that have hit many of their U.S. colleagues.
