In 2022, Shopify which is the online store giant in Canada, will lay off 10% of its total workforce. Now, they are issuing new policies for the sake of productivity, including so that employees don't have too many meetings, they should avoid them to be more productive.
Quoted from Silicon Republic, Shopify employees are asked to hold fewer meetings under the new policy, there are even some restrictions. The company notifies employees to cancel all meetings with more than two participants, and there is a rule that Wednesdays are completely free from meetings.
Large meetings of more than 50 staff could only be held within 6 hours on Thursdays. Overall, meetings are discouraged by corporate executives. CEO, Tobi Lutke thinks the meeting is just a distraction.
""People join Shopify to build. To see the thing they worked on released so they can say, 'Man, I made this'. Meetings are bugs along the way. We are a builder and crafter company. Don't forget this," said Tobi.
“Uninterrupted time is our most valuable resource and we free up our people to cut back, decline meetings, and focus on what is most valuable,” added a Shopify spokesperson.
In 2021, Shopify is hiring a lot. They reaped soaring income in 2021. During the pandemic, employees are allowed to fully work from home.
However, the following year, Shopify cut staff numbers even amidst the global economic downturn. They cut about 10% of employees globally.