• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechPointCloud

Zenefits, the Troubled Software Startup, Just Cut 9% of Its Staff

By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Heather Clancy
Heather Clancy
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 14, 2016, 1:24 PM ET
Photograph by Bloomberg via Getty Images

Human resources software startup Zenefits, which laid off 250 employees in February as part of massive sales reorganization, will reduce its headcount again, according to two executive memos circulated to employees Tuesday.

The latest cost-cutting measures include the elimination of 106 positions (about 9% of Zenefits’ current payroll) in the company’s Tempe, Arizona, office. Although Zenefits will maintain a presence there, it is consolidating all sales and marketing processes into its San Francisco headquarters, said CEO David Sacks, in his company-wide email. “These changes are about working smarter, not just more efficiently,” he wrote.

When I spoke with Sacks last month, he said Zenefits employed more than 300 licensed brokers—out of a 1,000-plus total workforce—representing 10,000 different state licenses. It’s unclear how these latest layoffs will affect the total number of brokers Zenefits employs.

The workforce reduction is part of a broader restructuring that will consolidate the company’s operations into five primary departments: broker services, insurance marketplace relationships, payroll services, human resources services, and quality control.

The aim is to make it simpler for Zenefits’s approximately 20,000 customers to get questions answered, wrote Zenefits COO Abhijeet Dwivedi, who sent a separate email to employees Tuesday. “The goal of the changes we are making today in operations is to amplify what we do well, and obliterative our deficiencies,” he said.

If employees aren’t happy with the mission changes or their specific job role after the reorg, they might be paid to leave as part of what Sacks calls “The Offer.” The severance package, which is being offered just to people who have been with Zenefits since before Day One, includes two months of pay and four months of COBRA health insurance benefits. Employees have until Thursday, June 16, to accept the offer.

Sacks wrote:

As you consider your options over the next two days, please know that the company isn’t making The Offer because we don’t want you. We do want you, but we want the best of you. We want you winning core values awards. We want you prototyping a great idea at Hackday. We want you staying late to help out on a project. We want you busting ass on Z2 [the code name for the next generation of the Zenefits software platform].

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Zenefits gives away cloud software that allows small companies to manage employee-related information and process—such as payroll, time-off requests, and insurance selection. It receives fees for managing or representing certain services. A major update to this software, including a heightened push on mobile features, is set to debut in October. The company has annual recurring revenue of more than $60 million, said Sacks in his employee email.

Zenefits was once one of the most heralded software “unicorns,” a nickname for startups valued at more than $1 billion by virtue of their venture backing. Its last officially valuation was $4.5 billion.

The company has been scrambling to reposition since February, when Sacks (who was previously COO) took over from ousted founder Conrad Parker, who was blamed for overlooking gaps in Zenefits’ broker training and compliance processes.

About the Author
By Heather Clancy
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

AI godfather warns humanity risks extinction by hyperintelligent machines with their own ‘preservation goals’ within 10 years
AITech
AI godfather warns humanity risks extinction by hyperintelligent machines with their own ‘preservation goals’ within 10 years
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 12, 2026
30 minutes ago
Girls say AI is a smarter tutor, a funnier comedian, and has better taste than their parents, new Girl Scouts survey finds
AIHealth
Girls say AI is a smarter tutor, a funnier comedian, and has better taste than their parents, new Girl Scouts survey finds
By Catherina GioinoMay 12, 2026
1 hour ago
Greenboard co-founders Dave Feldman and Ed Schembor
Startups & Venturecompliance
Greenboard raises $15.5 million to keep compliance from slowing down business in the AI era
By Jack KubinecMay 12, 2026
1 hour ago
klein
CommentarySoftware
SAP CEO: the AI race is being fought in the wrong place 
By Christian KleinMay 12, 2026
2 hours ago
AI strategy
CommentaryStrategy
Your company already has an AI strategy. You just didn’t choose it
By Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Tami Rosen and Darko LovricMay 12, 2026
4 hours ago
The Fed is ‘meaningfully deviating’ from one of the most basic rules for fighting inflation, BofA warns
EconomyMarkets
The Fed is ‘meaningfully deviating’ from one of the most basic rules for fighting inflation, BofA warns
By Jim EdwardsMay 12, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Forget U.S. debt, China's total borrowing is in 'a league of its own'—much worse and deteriorating faster, analyst says
Economy
Forget U.S. debt, China's total borrowing is in 'a league of its own'—much worse and deteriorating faster, analyst says
By Jason MaMay 11, 2026
22 hours ago
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
Tech
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says Gen Z and millennials are using ChatGPT like a 'life advisor'—but college students might be one step ahead
By Sydney LakeMay 10, 2026
2 days ago
Microsoft’s CFO admits she joined the tech giant without even knowing her salary—and then missed her first day of work
Success
Microsoft’s CFO admits she joined the tech giant without even knowing her salary—and then missed her first day of work
By Preston ForeMay 11, 2026
23 hours ago
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
Economy
‘This is the way’: Elon Musk endorses Warren Buffett’s famed 5-minute plan to fix the national debt
By Jacqueline MunisMay 10, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of May 11, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of May 11, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerMay 11, 2026
1 day ago
Trump Mobile quietly rewrote its fine print to say the gold Trump phone may never be made, a year after taking $100 deposits
North America
Trump Mobile quietly rewrote its fine print to say the gold Trump phone may never be made, a year after taking $100 deposits
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMay 11, 2026
15 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.