Uber Employee Laid Off Days After Celebrating 4-Year Work Anniversary: "Never Imagined That..."

A woman who spent four years working at Uber has shared an emotional account of being laid off just days after celebrating her work anniversary, saying she is choosing to see the setback as the start of a new chapter rather than dwelling on anger or regret. Gabbe L, who worked as a Customer Service Specialist III COE at Uber in Chicago, marked four years with the company on August 29. Just days later, she learned that her role had been affected by layoffs following the elimination of her department.

Sharing the news on social media, Gabbe said she never expected her work anniversary to be followed so quickly by the end of her time at the company. Despite the abrupt turn of events, she said she was leaving Uber with gratitude for the experience, the professional growth and, most importantly, the people she met along the way.

"While this chapter is ending unexpectedly, I can honestly say that my four years at Uber have given me so much to be grateful for. During my time there, I learned, grew professionally, gained valuable experience, and had the opportunity to meet and work alongside so many amazing people. I've built relationships and friendships that I will carry with me long after my time at Uber ends," she wrote on LinkedIn. 

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Gabbe said she is trying not to rush into the next job simply because her career has suddenly been interrupted. "Although being laid off wasn't part of my plan, I'm choosing to look at this transition as an opportunity. I'm blessed to have some time to slow down, enjoy my family, focus on myself, and think about what I truly want the next chapter of my career to look like," she added. 

For Gabbe, the experience has also been a reminder that career paths do not always unfold as planned. She said she is choosing to believe that the end of one chapter can create space for another. She thanked her former colleagues and the people supporting her through the transition, saying their encouragement has meant a lot during an uncertain period.

"To everyone I had the pleasure of working with at Uber Chicago over these past four years — thank you. Thank you for the lessons, the laughs, the challenges, the support, and the memories. I'm grateful our paths crossed. For now, I'm taking a moment to appreciate how far I've come and everything I've learned along the way. When the time is right, I'm excited to see where my experience in customer operations, escalations, and problem-solving takes me next," she concluded the post. 

Ride-hailing giant Uber will be laying off around 10 per cent of its staff as part of "significant organisational changes," CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said in a message to employees released on Wednesday. Uber has a total of roughly 34,000 employees with operations in more than 70 countries, according to a recent SEC filing. The company said the layoffs were aimed at making the platform "simpler and faster" and at reducing coordination delays in what has become a sprawling operation.