General Motors employee of 38 years laid off via email at 5 am: 'Hadn't planned on starting new chapter'

Having joined General Motors in 1986 as an analyst, Adam Bernard’s career spanned nearly four decades.

General Motors (GM) has laid off approximately 1,000 employees globally in a move aimed at cutting costs and maintaining its competitive edge in a highly saturated automotive market. The layoffs, which predominantly impacted white-collar employees, were communicated last Friday, with affected workers receiving email notifications early in the morning.

Among those affected by the layoffs was Adam Bernard, a GM veteran with 38 years of service. Bernard, who held the position of Associate Director, Competitor Intelligence, expressed his surprise at the decision in a LinkedIn post.

“Well, in unexpected news, I was let go from GM at 5.07 am this morning via email, along with (I hear unofficially) about 1,000 people globally. I wonder what I should do next…?” Bernard wrote.

Having joined GM in 1986 as an analyst, Bernard’s career spanned nearly four decades, during which he also pursued an MBA at Harvard University to advance his prospects. For the last 17 years, he led a team analysing competitors’ strategies, contributing significantly to GM’s competitive intelligence efforts.

In a follow-up LinkedIn post, Bernard shared that he was actively seeking new opportunities. “I am considering new roles and would appreciate your support. I hadn’t planned on starting a new chapter at this point, but I still love the auto industry and am looking to stay connected,” he stated.

The manner in which the layoffs were conducted has sparked widespread criticism on social media platforms. Many users expressed outrage at the treatment of long-serving employees like Bernard.

A user remarked, “I’ve come to realise after all these years your job at the end of the day gives zero sh*** about you. I’ve done it all from management to just a warehouse worker. It’s all the same.”

Another commented, “They should be required by law to pay out full retirement to people when they lay them off or fire them after a certain age and amount of time worked there. Ridiculous that we allow companies to get away with this type of thing.”

"The first week is the hardest. Sit down somewhere you enjoy (could be a park, coffee shop, anywhere) and check your finances. Get a gameplan in place for how long you have given whatever severance you're offered. Then see how much extra time you get from your emergency fund followed by your non-emergency fund (investments you'd never sell but might need to). After that is in place just relax. Take the day off, enjoy you're weekend and start thinking about what's next on Monday," a user suggested.

A user questioned, "25 years and an email was what they chose to tell you. How are you not angry Adam?"

"A 5 AM email is very unprofessional, especially to someone who has given so much to the company for so long. At least when GM Energy sacked half our organisation, we got a Teams call during work hours," another user added.

In a statement confirming the layoffs, GM emphasised its focus on operational efficiency. “We need to optimise for speed and excellence,” the company said. “This includes operating with efficiency, ensuring we have the right team structure and focusing on our top priorities.”