Autonomous driving tech startup Zoox is starting to feel the effects of the coronavirus laying off most of its contract workers last week, including the backup drivers who ride in the company’s autonomous test fleet, The Verge reports.
It is understood that employees were informed in an email sent on Friday that their jobs would be terminated immediately. They were also told they would be locked out of the company’s email, Zoom, and Slack accounts, and be required to turn in their company laptops and badges. Zoox said contractors who have the ability to work remotely have not been laid off.
In the email, Zoox added that it plans of re-hiring everyone “once the shelter in place is lifted, unless stated otherwise.”
“Zoox has every intention to resume testing and normal business practices, and will need your efforts in getting back on track,” the email added.
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Some drivers are skeptical they will get their jobs back, however. Futurism says this is because they are contractors placed at Zoox through a staffing agency and that the startup already has a high turnover rate of employees.
“It would be amazing if Zoox brought everyone back, but I’m doubtful,” one worker told The Verge. “That just sounds like they are all fired to me.”
“This decision was not made lightly, and is an unfortunate reflection of the difficult situation faced by many organizations in an uncertain economic climate,” the company said in a statement.
Zoox operates 50 test vehicles in California and operates a small fleet in Las Vegas. The company has been forced to stop testing its vehicles due to shelter-in-place orders. In California, the shelter-in-place rule has been extended to May 3.