‘Trauma is more emotional than financial’: Amid Qualcomm layoffs, employees share personal stories of anxiety

A Bengaluru professional was planning a wedding when he said Qualcomm laid them off. He, however, says he is more relieved than anxious.

“I am feeling more relaxed after hearing the news than I was before. At least the uncertainty is over, and I don’t have to keep worrying about whether I will be impacted or not,” he said.

Another said he had expected a promotion before receiving the news on a video call. A Hyderabad user described feeling “more relieved than disappointed” after a meeting with HR.

However, not everyone feels ‘relieved’ to have lost their job. Reddit posts describe personal experiences and concerns in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai. Qualcomm’s response and the total number of affected employees are absent from the posts.

In a post tagged Hyderabad, one user said HR was waiting in a conference room. Staff there explained a severance package tied to years of experience. The poster said that completed years of experience, plus one, determined the months of salary.

The package then added three months of pay. Signing the separation agreement within two days would add another month’s salary.

The poster used 5.5 years of experience to explain the calculation. With the signing bonus, the package would amount to 10 months of regular salary.

The user said their last working day would be January 31, 2027. He expected regular pay through January and severance by late February or early March.

The post said health insurance and other benefits would continue through January 31. Shares due to vest in November would vest while the remaining unvested shares would lapse.

The user said he had to return their laptop in December. HR would also share resources for CV writing and help finding another job.

One Bengaluru poster said earlier interview rejections had already shaken their confidence. He asked whether signing early could affect his chances of returning to Qualcomm. He also sought advice from other Redditors on referrals and interview preparation.

“Honestly, my confidence has taken a hit, and I feel completely lost…I just wish life would give me a little breathing room,” the Reddit user wrote.

Another Bengaluru user said their manager had told them a promotion was pending. He described learning of the layoff after losing two family members the previous month.

“Trauma is more emotional than financial,” he wrote.

One user said his pregnant wife had been warned she might be affected. She was six months pregnant then. She had worked at Qualcomm in Bengaluru for more than nine years, the user said.

The post said the couple was awaiting official communication and asked about legal protections. The poster also asked which records the couple should keep.

A Chennai poster said he had heard of cuts across several engineering levels. The user believed junior engineers were affected more often and questioned how managers chose people.

“What do you gain by laying off those people in the lower pay grades?” the user wondered.

Qualcomm: India layoffs

Qualcomm’s India layoffs are part of a global workforce reduction following annual employee reviews. In an October memo reviewed by Reuters, CEO Cristiano Amon called the cuts “performance-focused”.

Qualcomm said its decisions would reflect business priorities, organisational needs, and the skills required for future growth. Employee notifications were expected to start in November. Qualcomm has not disclosed how many jobs it plans to cut.