Listen "[07 SEP] PAPER CUT - Hard Reset, Soft Demand"
Episode Synopsis
Salesforce cuts staff. Amazon tightens rules and chases urgency. Paramount plans five days in the office. The market cools, workers hedge, and AI only pays off when companies change how they work. Paper Cut distils the noise into practical moves for employer-brand leaders.
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
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📌 Sources & Links
Hard Reset at the Top
Salesforce lays off 4,000 employees; support staff trimmed from 9,000 to about 5,000
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/salesforce-lays-off-4000-employees-ceo-marc-benioff-says-ive-reduced-support-staff-from-9000-heads-to-about-5000-because/articleshow/123631907.cms
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reshapes company culture to restore urgency and discipline
https://www.ainvest.com/news/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-reshapes-company-culture-restore-urgency-discipline-2509/
Amazon’s strict phone policy stirs employee concerns over trust and control
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/culture-reset-turns-personal-amazons-strict-phone-policy-stirs-employee-concerns-over-trust-and-control/articleshow/123709779.cms
Amazon asks staff to report personal use of work phones as cost cutting deepens
https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/amazon-asks-staff-to-report-personal-use-of-work-phones-as-cost-cutting-drive-deepens-80180.htm
Unilever to review its top 200 roles under turnaround strategy
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/unilever-review-top-200-roles-under-turnaround-strategy-2025-09-03/
Office Rules, Talent Gravity
Paramount to mandate five-day return to office from January, internal memo says
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/paramount-mandate-five-day-return-office-starting-january-memo-says-2025-09-04/
Amazon’s strict RTO policy is costing top tech talent
https://africa.businessinsider.com/news/amazons-strict-rto-policy-is-costing-it-top-tech-talent-according-to-internal/syr3et6
Community reaction and internal chatter on Amazon RTO
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45132093
Regional and suburban shared workspaces boost productivity for WFH
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-03/shared-workspaces-regional-suburban-wfh-option-productivity/105680458
Want staff back at their desks? Make the office less boring
https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/want-your-staff-back-at-their-desks-maybe-make-the-office-less-boring-20250901-p5mrfi
Soft Demand, Smaller Bets
US JOLTS: job openings and layoffs
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/03/economy/us-jolts-job-openings-layoffs-july
“I applied to 5,000 jobs” in a brutal market
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/career-advice/applied-over-5000-jobs-brutal-market/
Feeling stuck in a stagnating job market
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/feeling-stuck-stagnating-job-market-120000344.html
The coming white-collar recession
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4817969-the-coming-white-collar-recession
Gen Z career minimalism and the rise of job hugging
https://fortune.com/2025/08/26/gen-z-career-minimalism-side-hustle-management/
Signs of the rising job hugging trend and how to address it
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2025/08/26/signs-of-the-rising-job-hugging-trend-and-5-ways-to-address-it/
AI Reality, Trust Required
Employees are using AI and companies are not prepared
https://www.fastcompany.com/91394046/employees-are-using-ai-and-companies-arent-prepared
Why AI change management matters more than hype
https://www.inc.com/fast-company-2/ai-change-management-mckinsey-doge/91233676
Academics raise alarm over suspected AI use in a Deloitte report
https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/academics-raise-alarm-over-suspected-ai-use-in-deloitte-report-20250822-p5mp0f
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#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #RTO #OrgDesign #WorkCulture #TalentStrategy
📰 Subscribe to the free Paper Cut newsletter: https://ebn.to/sub25
🔗 Follow EBN on LinkedIn: https://ebn.to/lin25
⸻
📌 Sources & Links
Hard Reset at the Top
Salesforce lays off 4,000 employees; support staff trimmed from 9,000 to about 5,000
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/salesforce-lays-off-4000-employees-ceo-marc-benioff-says-ive-reduced-support-staff-from-9000-heads-to-about-5000-because/articleshow/123631907.cms
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reshapes company culture to restore urgency and discipline
https://www.ainvest.com/news/amazon-ceo-andy-jassy-reshapes-company-culture-restore-urgency-discipline-2509/
Amazon’s strict phone policy stirs employee concerns over trust and control
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/culture-reset-turns-personal-amazons-strict-phone-policy-stirs-employee-concerns-over-trust-and-control/articleshow/123709779.cms
Amazon asks staff to report personal use of work phones as cost cutting deepens
https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/amazon-asks-staff-to-report-personal-use-of-work-phones-as-cost-cutting-drive-deepens-80180.htm
Unilever to review its top 200 roles under turnaround strategy
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/unilever-review-top-200-roles-under-turnaround-strategy-2025-09-03/
Office Rules, Talent Gravity
Paramount to mandate five-day return to office from January, internal memo says
https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/paramount-mandate-five-day-return-office-starting-january-memo-says-2025-09-04/
Amazon’s strict RTO policy is costing top tech talent
https://africa.businessinsider.com/news/amazons-strict-rto-policy-is-costing-it-top-tech-talent-according-to-internal/syr3et6
Community reaction and internal chatter on Amazon RTO
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45132093
Regional and suburban shared workspaces boost productivity for WFH
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-03/shared-workspaces-regional-suburban-wfh-option-productivity/105680458
Want staff back at their desks? Make the office less boring
https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/want-your-staff-back-at-their-desks-maybe-make-the-office-less-boring-20250901-p5mrfi
Soft Demand, Smaller Bets
US JOLTS: job openings and layoffs
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/03/economy/us-jolts-job-openings-layoffs-july
“I applied to 5,000 jobs” in a brutal market
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/jobs/career-advice/applied-over-5000-jobs-brutal-market/
Feeling stuck in a stagnating job market
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/feeling-stuck-stagnating-job-market-120000344.html
The coming white-collar recession
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4817969-the-coming-white-collar-recession
Gen Z career minimalism and the rise of job hugging
https://fortune.com/2025/08/26/gen-z-career-minimalism-side-hustle-management/
Signs of the rising job hugging trend and how to address it
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryanrobinson/2025/08/26/signs-of-the-rising-job-hugging-trend-and-5-ways-to-address-it/
AI Reality, Trust Required
Employees are using AI and companies are not prepared
https://www.fastcompany.com/91394046/employees-are-using-ai-and-companies-arent-prepared
Why AI change management matters more than hype
https://www.inc.com/fast-company-2/ai-change-management-mckinsey-doge/91233676
Academics raise alarm over suspected AI use in a Deloitte report
https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/academics-raise-alarm-over-suspected-ai-use-in-deloitte-report-20250822-p5mp0f
⸻
#EmployerBrand #AIatWork #RTO #OrgDesign #WorkCulture #TalentStrategy