Apple will merge a 121-employee San Diego team with one in Austin, Texas, and any of the employees who choose not to move could be laid off on April 26. This comes from Bloomberg, which reported that an Apple spokesperson confirmed working with the team, which listens to recordings of Siri interactions to ensure it responds appropriately, will “have the opportunity to continue its role at Apple in Austin.”
The article said employees were surprised by the move, as Apple had indicated it would move to a different campus in San Diego by the end of January, rather than going to Texas. The company reportedly told employees that they could apply for other positions within the company. But some doubt they're qualified for other Apple jobs in the city, and most don't plan to move.
That's to be expected given the suddenness – it's virtually guaranteed that some wouldn't be able to uproot themselves so suddenly. So her departure wouldn't be a layoff per se, but it's not far from it. Apple has largely avoided layoffs as other companies have made steep cuts over the past two years.
Bloomberg writes that those who move will receive a $7,000 stipend, while Apple will offer the others four weeks of severance pay plus an additional week for every year they worked, as well as six months of health insurance. The team in San Diego reportedly listens to Siri recordings in multiple languages, including Hebrew, English, Spanish and Arabic.