Inside the Rolling Layoffs at Jack Dorsey’s Block

image via WIRED

February 19, 2026, 7:53 PM

• •Layoffs at Block have led to declining morale and increased anxiety among remaining employees.
• •Employees are required to use generative AI, which some see as a negative mandate.
• •Management has characterized layoffs as performance-related, sparking disagreement among staff.

Following layoffs at Block, the parent company of Square and Cash App, remaining employees report a decline in morale and increased performance anxiety. Employees expressed concerns about layoffs, performance anxiety, and the balance between AI adoption and code quality, with some feeling the internal culture is crumbling. Management has mandated generative AI use and framed layoffs as performance-related, which some employees dispute. This has led to widespread anxiety and disagreement with the company's messaging.

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