Business Insider: Block employee says the company dangled a 75% pay raise to get her to stay after layoffs — but she decided to quit

Survived the Block layoffs? You might be getting a hefty retention package, including a bonus.

March 5, 2026—Business Insider viewed messages between current and former Block employees in which those who survived the layoff round described retention packages they were offered. One wrote that they were offered $80,000, and the another wrote that they were offered $60,000, according to screenshots of the conversations. Both wrote that the bonuses paid out in quarterly installments.

Why might a company like Block choose to offer employees retention packages after significant layoffs?

As Sarah J. Rodehorst, Co-founder & CEO of Onwards HR, puts it:

"A retention bonus can help quiet concerns among those left standing over whether they'll continue to have a job. A retention bonus can also make it easier to stomach that there will likely be more work left for fewer people to handle. They're going to probably have to double down and be a little uncomfortable for a while as the company adapts to the new reality of where they are.”

Read the full Business Insider article here.

Read more about how to execute compliant reductions in force in our article: Reductions in Force (RIF): What Every HR Leader Needs to Know