Shopify, the Canadian e-commerce company, employs over 500 workers in Ireland. In 2022, the company announced a global layoff of 20% of its workforce. To sidestep Irish collective redundancy laws, management opted to make 29 employees redundant each month. This underhanded approach not only avoided any possibility of public scrutiny but prevented workers from electing their own representatives to engage in a 30-day consultation process. This meant that only those directly affected, and their immediate supervisors were informed of the layoffs.

Affected workers were offered 16 weeks of pay, but only if they signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that prohibited any legal action against the company. Faced with the fear of job loss, many felt compelled to accept these terms. For those who remained, each month brought anxiety as they awaited dreaded meeting invites that could signal their own job cuts. Colleagues seemed to vanish overnight, leaving a palpable sense of unease. Once regarded as a great employer, Shopify had transformed into a toxic workplace where employees felt scrutinised at every turn.

In response to this mistreatment, a small group of workers reached out to the Communications Workers Union (CWU) and initiated a campaign to unionise Shopify in Ireland. They held secret online meetings and participated in organizing training, rallying around the message: “Shopify Workers in Ireland demand that the company engage with their workers on the future plans for the Irish operation.” Despite working remotely and never having met in person, their efforts led to a growing union membership, all without management’s knowledge.

In November of this year, Shopify callously altered its layoff tactics, demonstrating a blatant disregard for workers’ rights. Two CWU members were invited to a “catch-up” meeting, only to be blindsided by HR with the shocking news that they were being terminated for alleged underperformance—accusations they had never faced before. This surreptitious approach not only stoked fear among employees but also exemplified a toxic culture of intimidation.

Immediately after their termination, these workers were locked out of company systems, stripped of their access without warning. A termination letter was sent to their personal emails, accompanied by a coercive NDA that offered a meagre payment in exchange for their silence. If they did not sign within seven days, they were threatened with receiving only their notice pay and any outstanding annual leave. This tactic is a clear attempt to deny workers their rights and stifle any dissent, further entrenching a culture of fear and uncertainty among the workforce. Such actions are unacceptable and the CWU condemns Shopify for their appalling treatment of their workers.

Shopify reported a gross profit of approximately $3.52 billion in 2023, a 27.6% increase from the previous year. It beggars’ belief that a successful and profitable company would go to such lengths to avoid their responsibility to their staff and deny them any genuine support.