Stripe accidentally sends image of cartoon duck to laid-off employees
Global payment processing giant Stripe recently laid off 300 employees, or approximately 3.5% of its workforce, but the announcement was overshadowed by an unusual error. In termination emails sent to affected staff, the company accidentally included an image of a cartoon duck, a spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
Adding to the confusion, some employees received incorrect termination dates in the same emails. These missteps were later acknowledged by Stripe’s Chief People Officer, Rob McIntosh, in a memo addressing the workforce.
“Some impacted Stripes received a notification error to their personal email accounts,” McIntosh wrote. “I apologize for the error and any confusion it caused. Corrected and full notifications have since been sent to all impacted Stripes.”
The layoffs and the peculiar inclusion of the duck image were first reported by Business Insider.
The reduction in staff comes as part of Stripe’s annual review process and growth planning, the company clarified. Despite the layoffs, Stripe has set a target of expanding its workforce from approximately 8,500 employees to 10,000 by the end of the year.
This is not the first time Stripe has downsized its workforce. In 2022, the company laid off 14% of its staff amid broader challenges in the tech sector. Despite these setbacks, Stripe remains one of the most valuable private startups in the United States.
