WeWork has reportedly postponed thousands of layoffs because it's too broke to pay workers severance

Authored by insider.com and submitted by licecrispies
image for WeWork has reportedly postponed thousands of layoffs because it's too broke to pay workers severance

WeWork has delayed laying off thousands of workers because it doesn't have enough cash to pay them severance, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The company, which is thought to be in danger of running out of cash by next month without new funding, was planning on cutting jobs to save money.

How the company will handle severance has been a hot topic of conversation, and employees are particularly concerned about the WeWork shares they hold.

WeWork's board expected to review funding offers from SoftBank and JPMorgan on Tuesday.

Read all of Business Insider's WeWork coverage here.

WeWork, it seems, is in a bit of a Catch-22.

With money running short after a failed initial public offering, WeWork has been planning on laying off thousands of employees. There's only one problem: It's so short on cash that it doesn't have enough money to pay severance to affected workers, according to The Wall Street Journal's Liz Hoffman and Maureen Farrell.

So, WeWork, which is believed to be in danger of running out of cash within a month without new financing, has postponed the layoffs, The Journal reported Monday.

A WeWork representative did not respond to an email seeking comment.

The delay could be temporary. WeWork's board is expected to meet Tuesday to consider new funding offers from SoftBank and JPMorgan. Both deals would involve propping up the struggling company with billions of new dollars in additional cash.

WeWork's new co-CEOs told employees in an email last week that the company planned to lay off workers in coming weeks.

Read this: WeWork CEOs tell staff layoffs are coming in leaked email ahead of decision on rescue package

As reports of imminent layoffs have swirled, severance packages have been a hot topic of conversation inside WeWork. Workers have peppered management with questions around it recently and have focused particularly on what will happen with their outstanding shares in the company, one person familiar with the matter told Business Insider. Employees have also been asking whether their severance package will take into account any stock they are owed.

Many employees were paid partially in shares. Others received WeWork shares when the company acquired their startups. In many cases the shares they received carried a much higher value then than they do now.

SoftBank valued WeWork at $47 billion in a funding round in January. The reported bailouts proposed by it and JPMorgan would place the company's value at $8 billion or less.

Got a tip about WeWork or another company? Contact this reporter via email at [email protected], message him on Twitter @troywolv, or send him a secure message through Signal at 415.515.5594. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

soup10 on October 22nd, 2019 at 07:51 UTC »

WeBankrupt

Daunticus93 on October 22nd, 2019 at 07:20 UTC »

I was working on a WeWorks building the other day and there was a DJ in the lobby at 9 in the morning. They could definitely save some money there.

BeTheBall- on October 22nd, 2019 at 05:07 UTC »

So basically Adam and Miguel defrauded everyone they possibly could, in order to live the party boy lifestyle?