Oracle slashes 30k jobs • Hacker News Board

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#481

Post by password4321 » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:30 PM UTC

wilsonnb3 wrote: post #267

seanhunter wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Short answer: today I think there is genuinely nothing that anyone should use oracle for, but their database used to be seriously far ahead of the competition. A very long time ago (circa 2000) there were basically 2 databases that worked for use cases where you needed high availability and vertical scalability and those were Oracle and Sybase and Oracle was really the only game in town if you actually wanted certain…

Just curious, how was SQL Server perceived at the time compared to Sybase and Oracle? I know it originated as a port of Sybase.

SQL Server's claim to fame was GUI admin tools making life easier for many who bore DBA responsibilities only in anger.

It remains one of the most reliable Microsoft products, but few would claim that is a high bar.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#482

Post by niek_pas » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:30 PM UTC

lotsofpulp wrote: post #436

niek_pas wrote: post #406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a result, today is your last working day. As a European, I never realized that this is allowed under US labor law. That is absolutely insane. EDIT: some commentors have pointed out that the workers collect severance and unemployment --- I was not aware this is law in California, and that changes matters. I would, though, still find being suddenly out of a job fairly traumatic.

It's insane to force businesses to take on the government's responsibilities (providing food/shelter/income/energy security). A buyer and seller should be free to start and stop buying and selling whenever they want, absent contracts stating otherwise. The government should be there to directly support all of the people, not to police and cajole businesses to support some of the people that happened to be hired by a…

I completely agree, and apparently in California this is already the case --- I had no idea. In most contexts, though, I'd argue governments fall down on this task completely and people are, unfortunately, still very dependent on their employer. Same-day termination seems very socially risky in those cases.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#483

Post by marcosdumay » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:30 PM UTC

WalterBright wrote: post #277

troyvit wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the headline is not the best headline, but what it meant by "cold" is that there was no advance warning. So like cold-calling somebody, but to fire them, and an email instead.

The problem with advance warning is the employee who decides to sabotage in revenge. For example, a company I knew in the 80s had a wholly owned subsidiary. It was losing money, so it was decided to close the subsidiary. Management decided that they'd be nice guys, and notified the subsidiary that it would be closed in 90 days and then everyone would be laid off. 90 days later, management arrived to close the facilit…

The company is free to pay the salary and tell the employee not to show up during that time.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#484

Post by jimkleiber » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:31 PM UTC

Aurornis wrote: post #460

jimkleiber wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if companies understand the emotional impact on the laid off and the layoff survivors. It almost seems like a terror campaign, whether intended or not.

One of my past employers tried to give laid off employees a dignified send offs including not immediately revoking their access. The number of people who snap and make rash decisions to try to exfiltrate data, plant backdoor logins for themselves, or sabotage company work in those hours was a much larger number than I would have guessed prior to seeing it.

Maybe the solution is to not do mass layoffs. Not sure there's a dignified way to let go of many humans at the same time with almost no reason for why they're being let go except maybe a vague profitability scorecard.

And also to expect and manage people snapping and giving them an off-ramp, financially but emotionally as well and maybe professionally, too. Why not try to help them find other jobs?

Companies don't just provide money, they provide people with meaning, routine, social circle, and so much, and layoffs cut all of those immediately.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#485

Post by pavel_lishin » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:31 PM UTC

jedberg wrote: post #379

jimkleiber wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if companies understand the emotional impact on the laid off and the layoff survivors. It almost seems like a terror campaign, whether intended or not.

They understand, but they are more concerned about you exfiltrating data and suing them. But you're right, the survivors don't even get a list. They have to find out when something they're waiting for never shows up because that person doesn't work there anymore.

This is why it's important to have a network off of company property.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#486

Post by Aurornis » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:31 PM UTC

niek_pas wrote: post #406

chekibreki wrote: post #110

Full text of e-mail: We are sharing some difficult news regarding your position. After careful consideration of Oracle’s current business needs, we have made the decision to eliminate your role as part of a broader organizational change. As a result, today is your last working day. We are grateful for your dedication, hard work, and the impact you have made during your time with us. After signing your termination pap…

> As a result, today is your last working day. As a European, I never realized that this is allowed under US labor law. That is absolutely insane. EDIT: some commentors have pointed out that the workers collect severance and unemployment --- I was not aware this is law in California, and that changes matters. I would, though, still find being suddenly out of a job fairly traumatic.

They are done working but will collect severance pay, typically scaled by years of service.

Oracle software engineering compensation for mid-level software engineers is in the $200-300K range. The top of their scale extends into the $400K to $1 million range.

From what I've seen, laid off employees will receive a minimum of 1 month of their compensation with 1 week of pay for every year worked, plus any remaining unused vacation time. So a mid-level employee who has worked their a few years and hasn't drawn their vacation balance to 0.0 could receive $30-50K or more beyond this date.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#487

Post by rwmj » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:31 PM UTC

lotsofpulp wrote: post #436

niek_pas wrote: post #406

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> As a result, today is your last working day. As a European, I never realized that this is allowed under US labor law. That is absolutely insane. EDIT: some commentors have pointed out that the workers collect severance and unemployment --- I was not aware this is law in California, and that changes matters. I would, though, still find being suddenly out of a job fairly traumatic.

It's insane to force businesses to take on the government's responsibilities (providing food/shelter/income/energy security). A buyer and seller should be free to start and stop buying and selling whenever they want, absent contracts stating otherwise. The government should be there to directly support all of the people, not to police and cajole businesses to support some of the people that happened to be hired by a…

The US government doesn't exactly go out of its way to support people either.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#488

Post by hn_acc1 » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:31 PM UTC

reactordev wrote: post #323

seanhunter wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Short answer: today I think there is genuinely nothing that anyone should use oracle for, but their database used to be seriously far ahead of the competition. A very long time ago (circa 2000) there were basically 2 databases that worked for use cases where you needed high availability and vertical scalability and those were Oracle and Sybase and Oracle was really the only game in town if you actually wanted certain…

I was around back then and I call Bullshit on everything you claim. There were more database options in 2000 than there were in 1996. Even before that there was FoxPro… c’mon man. Oracle’s only value was they built a NO EXIT clause into their contracts…

Oracle was the ONLY game in town if you were serious. It was like buying IBM in the 80s. Source: programmed PL/SQL and embedded SQL at the Toronto Stock Exchange in the early 90s, on SCO Unix and Oracle.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#489

Post by jimkleiber » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:32 PM UTC

jedberg wrote: post #379

jimkleiber wrote: post #321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure if companies understand the emotional impact on the laid off and the layoff survivors. It almost seems like a terror campaign, whether intended or not.

They understand, but they are more concerned about you exfiltrating data and suing them. But you're right, the survivors don't even get a list. They have to find out when something they're waiting for never shows up because that person doesn't work there anymore.

Eh, that's brutal, wondering why someone isn't replying to your email only to find out they get let go. Almost like finding out a friend died, in a professional way.

I think we often just don't understand the full dimensionality of layoffs.

Re: Oracle slashes 30k jobs

#490

Post by TheGRS » Tue, Mar 31, 2026, 5:32 PM UTC

post-it wrote: post #173

kyledrake wrote: post #157

The bulk of the comments in here are focused on comparing Larry Ellison to a lawn mower, so I'll try a new tack and say that I'm genuinely confused at what the value prop of Oracle is. Given the history of their business model being licensing of important databases that are hard to switch off of, I've actually made a point to avoid using Oracle as much as possible (even so far as to leave MySQL when they acquired it,…

Every company I've worked for has avoided Oracle software of any kind. My hunch is that big consulting firms like CGI might use it, and therefore the customers of those firms use it? But I haven't worked at any of those.

A past company I worked for made SaaS and On-prem and we supported Oracle with the on-prem. The simple act of supporting and testing that option was enormous for our company, but the customers we had that needed it were highly lucrative.