Klarna CEO’s LinkedIn post names hundreds of staff dismissed in cost-cutting

The chief executive of Klarna Bank has polarized opinion on social media after posting a contact list of former employees recently dismissed by the Swedish payments company as part of a drive to curb costs.

Sebastian Siemiatkowski, 40, wrote on LinkedIn that he has “mixed feelings about this document” because it reflects both the caliber of the departing Klarna staff and a “very hard decision that saddens me deeply.” 

Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

Those named on the list have signed up for it voluntarily and it was created by an employee who remains at the company, a spokesperson for Klarna said. 

Reactions to the CEO’s post ranged from outrage over its “tone deaf” content to praise for grabbing the attention of recruiters. The largest trade union in Sweden’s financial industry, Finansforbundet, told Bloomberg that it has asked to discuss the posting of the list with Klarna.

The union also said it wasn’t consulted on the job cuts and “expected information from the company at an early stage and not to have to read about the process in the media,” the head of the union, Ulrika Boethius, said in emailed comments.

Klarna’s spokesperson says the company “has not given notice of dismissal, and is therefore not obliged to inform the unions, but hopes to reach an agreement with the employees concerned. Should a redundancy arise, it will be handled in accordance with laws and regulations.”