‘8 yrs, 15 hr days, no upside’: Laid off Amazon employee reveals reality behind ‘startup culture’

A candid Reddit post by a former Amazon employee has sparked controversy online, offering a rare inside look at the company’s increasingly high-pressure culture amid ongoing layoffs. The former employee, who spent more than eight years with the company, described being let go in the previous layoff cycle despite strong performance and a deep commitment to the organization.

The user said he joined Amazon in a stable role with steady growth, consistently receiving top reviews and even supporting other teams and internal innovation projects. But things changed when they were offered what seemed like a great opportunity – leading a new, high-risk internal business initiative backed by significant investment.

Accepting the challenge meant shifting from an 8- to 10-hour workday to an extended 12- to 15-hour workday, including weekends, in an effort to build what they called a “revolutionary product.” Despite early enthusiasm, the project faced difficulties due to technical and strategic complexities. The post noted, “Everyone at ground level could see the ground shaking. But the leadership did not.”

After nearly three years of intense work, mounting pressure, and widening gaps in product viability, layoffs occurred — and the employee was terminated. The user suggested that while Amazon expects employees to work at startup level, the company does not offer startup level upwards in return.

“When things were going well, there was no upside. But when things failed, the downside was layoffs,” they wrote, adding that Amazon operates like a startup without sharing the commensurate reward. “If you want to take risks at the startup level, do it for your startup — not for Amazon,” they advised.

The story has resonated widely as technology workers globally grapple with job insecurity, rising expectations and shrinking rewards in a market reshaped by efficiency drivers and AI-driven restructuring.

“Amazon’s corporate model fits this description. When the stock price goes up, it’s “sorry, your previously vested RSUs are now worth a lot, so you won’t get much of a raise this year” and when it goes down, it’s “hey, as an owner, you need to ride the downs with the ups.” Heads you lose. “Tails to lose,” one user wrote.

Another user said: “Take your job seriously and work hard, but don’t let it control your life. A place like Amazon will wear you to the bone on nights and weekends and then won’t think twice before showing you the door. Lots of people with 5 or 10+ years of service woke up to a breakup text this morning, and that was it. Badge deactivated, laptop turned off, remember that next time Amazon, or any other company, asks you to take your life from “For their service.”

A third user commented: “The joke is on you if you think anything else would have happened. Amazon used people and fired them like they were potato chips.”

A fourth user said: “You don’t seem to have learned your lesson. It’s also possible that you’ve burned out your team by not managing expectations effectively. Cause your fear of saying no or having a backbone. Learn the real lesson.”