Mass Layoffs at TELUS Digital. 'Boundless Hypocrisy: You Tell Them You're Firing Them, But Ask Them to Stay Focused on Work'

TELUS Digital has announced the collective dismissal of around 300 employees in Romania, who are expected to leave the company between July and October 2026. The announcement has drawn sharp criticism from human resources analyst Doru Șupeală, who condemned the company's communication methods.

Șupeală stated that the affected employees were part of a project that was "extremely important financially for the firm." He indicated that the project's closure was at the client's request and that this is the second major wave of layoffs in recent months, with another 300 Romanian employees having been dismissed earlier following the closure of a different major project. This brings the total number of job losses to 600.

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It's boundless hypocrisy: You tell them you're firing them, but you ask them to stay focused on work.

The company's communication to the affected employees has been particularly contentious. Șupeală described the approach as "hypocrisy without bounds," citing a message that reportedly combined expressions of gratitude with a request for employees to continue their work "with the same professionalism." The message, which Șupeală noted lacked a clear signatory, has been interpreted as an attempt to avoid accountability.

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I cannot express enough how grateful I am for all that you have done and continue to do. Until you receive more details, please remain focused on performance.

"Who can be so devoid of basic human qualities as to ask a person who has just learned they are losing their livelihood to remain focused and performant at work?" Șupeală questioned. He argued that the distinction between responsible companies and those perceived as "cold and arrogant" lies not in the occurrence of layoffs, but in how they are managed and communicated to those affected.

This situation reflects a wider trend in Romania's labor market in 2026. Following years of rapid expansion in outsourcing and shared services, many companies are reassessing costs, reducing projects, and closing less profitable divisions. Roles in customer support, content moderation, and repetitive operations are increasingly vulnerable to restructuring, partly due to advancements in artificial intelligence.

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Who can be so devoid of basic human qualities as to ask a person who has just learned they are losing their livelihood to remain focused and performant at work?