Latest update:02 Apr 2026 at 8:46 PM IST

Oracle employees in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune woke up to termination notices, and some thought it was an April Fools’ prank until they discovered that their system access had been revoked

Many professionals find themselves remaining in roles they have emotionally outgrown, not because they lack ambition, but because familiarity, expectations, and uncertainty quietly shape their choices. (Image: Canva)

Tech giant Oracle made “significant” job cuts on Tuesday, with its decision to let go of 30,000 of its employees globally, representing about 19% of its total workforce including about 12,000 employees in India. In an email to employees at 6 a.m., US technology giant Oracle cited “organizational changes” and efforts to “simplify operations” as reasons for the layoffs.

Employees in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune woke up to termination notices, and some thought it was an April Fool’s joke until they discovered that their access to the system had been revoked. Many of these employees took to LinkedIn to share their experiences and skills, tagging “open for business” with numerous posts urging people and organizations to generate leads and reach out to companies for opportunities.

What followed wasn’t just an increase in job searches, it was a shift that many professionals could feel almost immediately. If thousands could lose their jobs overnight, what would that mean for you?

This question is quietly driving a new trend in the workplace, “career embracing” where employees choose to stay where they are rather than pursue the next role, clinging to stability over risk. It represents a subtle change in ambition, where growth is no longer just about moving forward, but knowing when to stay.

Why do people “embrace the job”?

Career juggling is an individual’s conscious decision to stay in their current position longer than planned, even if the job is not particularly fulfilling. It’s not so much about loyalty as it is about caution.

For Gen Z and Millennials, who have grown up through economic volatility, from the global financial crisis to the pandemic and now AI-driven change, the instinct is “safe and soothing.” Even Monster’s new Embrace Jobs 2025 report confirms that nearly half of workers, more than 48%, report they are staying in their current jobs due to fear and economic uncertainty, indicating that the trend shows no signs of slowing down, revealing that 75% of employees plan to stay in their jobs through 2027.

“Job hugging represents a larger phenomenon in employee behavior and perspective in the modern workplace,” says Sonika Arun, founder and managing partner of Marching Sheep, an HR consultancy. “Employees today embrace their jobs out of fear, fear of job disruption, fear of becoming redundant, or fear of economic uncertainty.”

The psychology of staying put

The idea of ​​job hugging refers to a familiar and often unspoken pattern in the workplace. Many professionals find themselves remaining in roles they have emotionally outgrown, not because they lack ambition, but because familiarity, expectations, and uncertainty quietly shape their choices.

“The real opportunity lies in building organizations where people feel safe enough to grow, gain skills, and explore new options,” Sonika adds. “When organizations build psychological safety and growth, career embrace is no longer about fear; career embrace is about dignity, growth, and belonging.”

What this really reflects is something deeper than the job itself. Staying in a place is often linked to identity, a sense of security, and the narratives people build about who they are and where they belong. Resolving this isn’t always easy, but it can open the door to more honest conversations about career growth, well-being, and what fulfillment at work really looks like.

Do AI agents change the rules of a job?

The job cuts are believed to be part of a larger cost-cutting move as Oracle increases its investment in AI infrastructure and expands the scale of its data center. Reports indicate that the company is looking to raise up to $50 billion to support this strategy, even as analysts predict that its cloud business may continue to operate at a loss in cash flow over the next few years.

The scale of Oracle’s layoffs is closely tied to its aggressive push into AI infrastructure and cloud expansion. This shift is being reflected across the technology industry, as investment flows into automation, often at the expense of traditional roles.

For employees, this creates double pressure. On the one hand, there is the need to improve skills and stay relevant, and on the other hand, there is the fear of entering a job market that is itself in a constant state of change. Therefore, for employees, career hugging has become a rational response because it frees up time to learn, observe shifts in the industry, and make more calculated career moves.

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