Bengaluru-based CEO earns praise after sacking 70 employees: ‘Respect for…’

“If you call someone ‘family,’ then treat them like family,” a Bengaluru-based CEO lived up to this statement. OKCredit CEO and founder Harsh Pokharna fired 70 employees due to budget constraints but also helped them find jobs. Pokharna took to LinkedIn to share the story of how he handled the process — which has widely impressed the internet. In a detailed post, the CEO exemplified how “it was one of the hardest things he has ever done.”

“18 months ago, we laid off 70 people. Here’s how it went: We were burning too much. Hired too fast. It was our mistake. And we owned it. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done as a founder. But we tried to do it the right way,” he wrote.

He asserted that the employees were informed about the decision through one-on-one dialogue and were given three months’ prior notice. “Helped with referrals, intros, job leads—anything that could help. Sixty-seven got placed before the notice period ended. For the three who didn’t, we gave two months’ extra salary,” he said.

Drawing a comparison to the ongoing tech industry layoffs, the CEO stated that many employees were not even given a call and instead learned about their termination through emails. “That’s inhuman. Yes, layoffs happen. But how you handle them says everything about your culture. I know it’s tough to have these conversations, but this is what you signed up for when you became a founder. If you call someone ‘family’ while hiring them, treat them like family when letting them go too,” he highlighted.

The post evoked a flurry of reactions from social media users, who applauded the CEO’s efforts.

“Respect for handling it the right way. More leaders should follow this example,” wrote one user, another CEO.

“Such a powerful reminder of what it means to be a true leader. I respect the way you navigated this, and it’s a model for all of us who aim to build a people-first culture,” another co-founder said.

“It’s sad how many companies treat people so badly during layoffs. I think everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, especially when things are hard. That kind of respect really matters. You did great,” wrote a startup CFO.