'Severance was offered': Hy-Vee responds to reports of layoffs affecting 150 Indian engineers

Hy-Vee has responded to reports surrounding its alleged India engineering layoffs, saying severance packages were offered to all employees at the affected location.

The company's response comes after reports, based on employee accounts shared publicly on Reddit and a LinkedIn post by a senior engineering leader, suggested that around 150 engineers had been affected by a restructuring exercise. One of the claims circulating online was that employees had not received severance packages.

In case you missed it: Read our earlier story on the reported layoffs at Hy-Vee's India engineering centre.

Company disputes severance claims

Responding to queries from People Matters, Hy-Vee said severance packages had been provided to all employees at the affected location, disputing a key claim made in the earlier reports.

The company, however, did not provide details of the severance packages or respond to questions about the reported restructuring, including the number of employees affected or the status of its India engineering operations.

Reports emerged through employee accounts

Reports of the restructuring first surfaced through a Reddit post by an individual identifying as a Hy-Vee software engineer.

The employee claimed that approximately 150 members of the engineering team were informed during a late-night Microsoft Teams meeting that their team was being shut down as part of a restructuring exercise.

The reports gained further attention after Amit Goel, Director of Engineering, India at Hy-Vee, wrote on LinkedIn that the company's India engineering centre had shut down and that members of the team were looking for new opportunities.

Neither the Reddit post nor the LinkedIn statement specified details of the restructuring beyond those accounts.

What Hy-Vee has and has not confirmed

Hy-Vee's response addresses one aspect of the reports while leaving several questions unanswered.

The company has confirmed:

• Severance packages were offered to all employees at the affected location.

The company has not publicly confirmed:

• The reported figure of around 150 affected engineers.
• The reported closure of its India engineering centre.
• The nature and scope of the reported restructuring.
• The circumstances surrounding employee notification.
• Details of the severance packages offered.

Wider context

The reported layoffs have attracted significant attention across India's technology community, with professionals discussing the restructuring on social media and sharing employment opportunities for affected engineers.

The episode also highlights how workforce restructuring can unfold rapidly, with employee accounts often emerging before companies issue formal responses.

While Hy-Vee has now clarified its position on severance, other aspects of the reported restructuring remain unconfirmed by the company. People Matters will update the story if Hy-Vee provides further information.