Laid off from Twilio.
Twilio cut in four rounds across sixteen months, shrinking by a third, and published its formula early, 12 weeks plus a week per year. The later rounds went quieter as activist investors leaned in.
At a glance
What's been reported about Twilio severance packages
- At least 12 weeks + 1 per year · Severance formula, February 2023
- About 17% of the company · The February 2023 reduction
- Four · Rounds from September 2022 to December 2023
- Roughly a third · Workforce decline across them
The latest
No major round since the 2023 restructurings
Twilio's December 2023 cut of about 5% under activist pressure capped a sixteen-month stretch of four rounds that took the company from roughly 9,000 people toward the mid-5,000s. Reductions since have been smaller and less publicized.
Previous rounds
How Twilio has handled layoffs in the past
Twilio compressed a workforce reset into sixteen months. Eleven percent in September 2022, then 17 percent in February 2023, then two smaller rounds through December 2023, roughly a third of the company gone from peak. The final 2023 round followed public pressure from activist investors, a reminder that layoff risk tracks the shareholder register, not just the income statement.
The February 2023 formula was published in Lawson's memo, at least 12 weeks of base plus a week per year of service. Publishing a floor made the offer individually checkable, and the early rounds under founder leadership were the loud, documented ones. The rounds that followed leadership and board changes disclosed progressively less, a disclosure decay that has repeated across this industry.
Activist-driven cuts have a particular shape worth knowing. They target cost structure visibly and quickly, go-to-market teams first at Twilio, and they tend to arrive in sequels because the pressure doesn't lift after one round. If your company picks up an activist investor with a public letter, treat it the way Twilio employees learned to, as the start of a season rather than a single event.
Recent Twilio layoffs
December 2023 · About 5%, roughly 300 roles, following activist investor pressure
Terms not republished at the February round's detail.
February 2023 · About 17% of the workforce, roughly 1,500 roles, concentrated in go-to-market teams
Jeff Lawson's memo promised at least 12 weeks of base pay plus one week per year of service.
September 2022 · About 11% of the company, the first round
Broadly similar structure reported.
Quick answers
What severance did Twilio pay?
The February 2023 round promised at least 12 weeks of base pay plus one week per year of service, per Lawson's published memo. Later rounds didn't republish terms at that detail, so the 2023 formula is the benchmark on the record.
Why did Twilio keep doing rounds?
Four rounds ran between September 2022 and December 2023, the last following public activist investor pressure. Cost-structure campaigns tend to produce sequels, which is why a single completed round at an activist-targeted company is rarely the end of the story.
What severance has Twilio given laid-off employees?
At least 12 weeks + 1 per year (severance formula, february 2023). Terms not republished at the February round's detail. Packages change between rounds, and your separation agreement is the only version that counts.
Where do I file for unemployment after a Twilio layoff?
In the state where you worked, not where the company is headquartered. Twilio's biggest U.S. hubs are California, Colorado. Severance usually doesn't block you from filing, and benefits run from your filing date, so file the same week.
Should I sign the severance agreement right away?
Not on the spot. First pin down how much review time you actually have. If you're 40 or older, federal law gives you 21 days to consider an agreement that waives age claims, 45 in a group layoff, and a waiver signed under a shorter deadline can be invalid. If you're under 40, no federal window applies and the deadline in your packet may be real, so confirm it in writing and ask for more time if you need it. Use whatever window you have to read the release terms, especially non-disparagement and no-lawsuit clauses, and don't stall past a real deadline, because offers can be withdrawn.
Can I collect unemployment if I got severance from Twilio?
Usually yes, though some states delay benefits until severance pay periods end, and lump sums are treated differently than salary continuation. Check your state's rules on our state benefit pages, and file immediately either way so your claim date is locked in.
Help for people recently laid off from Twilio
- File for unemployment in the state where you worked. Benefits run from your filing date, and severance usually doesn't block you. Twilio's biggest hubs: California, Colorado. Somewhere else? Every state is here.
- Don't sign the severance agreement on the spot. Find out in writing how long you have to review it. At 40 or older, federal law guarantees 21 days, 45 in group layoffs. Under 40, the packet's deadline may be real, so ask for time rather than assume. Read our severance breakdown first. The clauses matter more than the number.
- Mind the health insurance window. Losing coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period, and an ACA plan usually beats unsubsidized COBRA. Compare your options before the employer coverage lapses.
- Get your real runway number. Severance plus savings divided by reality. The calculator takes five minutes.
- Know which clocks are already running. Severance review windows, COBRA election, visa grace periods, and 401(k) rollovers all run on federal deadlines that started at termination. All five deadlines are here.