Paper

Montréal-based EdTech startup Paper conducted its fourth and deepest round of layoffs within a year in late July 2024, cutting 45% of its approximately 180 head office employees. This followed the appointment of EdTech veteran Rich Yang as interim CEO, replacing co-founder Phil Cutler. The company later laid off its entire Canadian tutor workforce, affecting hundreds, as part of a strategic shift to focus on the US market to rebuild operations and improve its financial situation. Founded in 2014, Paper provides online tutoring and faced criticism over tutor-to-student ratios despite growth during the pandemic.

Paper, an educational technology company, laid off 87 employees, representing roughly 4% of its total workforce, on September 12, 2023. The layoffs affected corporate non-tutor roles as part of a restructuring effort aimed at achieving profitability by early 2024. The company cited the need to focus its business, prepare for the future, and adapt to shifts in school funding following the end of COVID-era support, emphasizing the importance of financial health to ensure long-term viability and continued service to students.

Paper, an education technology company, laid off 106 employees from its corporate headquarters team on August 1, 2023. This reduction affected roughly 4% of its total workforce. The company cited shifting market conditions in the education sector, where school districts are operating with tighter budgets, as the primary reason. To ensure long-term sustainability, Paper is optimizing its investments and organizational structure. The founders expressed that this difficult decision was made to strengthen the company's future position while acknowledging the impact on affected employees, who were offered a comprehensive separation package including severance, extended benefits, and continued platform access for their families.

Paper, an educational technology company, laid off 81 employees, representing roughly 3% of its total workforce and 15% of its corporate non-tutor team, on April 17, 2023. The layoffs were part of a proactive restructuring decision by the leadership to accelerate the building of a comprehensive Educational Support System. CEO Philip Cutler stated the move was made to focus the company's resources prudently and sustainably, aiming to broaden student support from kindergarten through graduation. Despite strong growth in tutoring, the restructuring is intended to better serve students in the long term, with the company noting it remains in a strong financial position.