Vishal Garg Back As Better.com CEO After Zoom Firing Controversy

Vishal Garg is returning to his position as CEO of Better.com after a month-long break. Mr Garg is best known for his controversial firing of 900 employees over a Zoom call shortly before Christmas last year, after which he stepped down as the chief executive of the mortgage tech company he founded. On Tuesday, a letter sent to the company's employees from the board of directors announced that Vishal Garg would be returning to his "full-time duties" as CEO, CNN reported. 

The letter added that Mr Garg used his leave of absence to "reflect on his leadership, reconnect with the values that make Better great and work closely with an executive coach."

A memo shared with TechCrunch also said that the Better board of directors was "moving forward with strong, dynamic CEO leadership."

Vishal Garg's return as Better.com CEO comes just weeks after he stepped down from the position while facing massive backlash over his handling of the mass lay-off. Leaked footage of his brutal Zoom firing of 900 employees had gone viral last year. 

Vishal Garg: “I wish I didn't have to lay off 900 of you over a zoom call but I'm gonna lay y'all off right before the holidays lmfaooo”pic.twitter.com/6bxPGTemEG

— litquidity (@litcapital) December 5, 2021

Following huge public backlash, Mr Garg apologised for his manner of handling the layoffs.

"I realize that the way I communicated this news made a difficult situation worse," he said in a letter before taking a leave of absence. 

During Mr Garg's time-off from the company he founded, Chief Financial Officer Kevin Ryan handled day-to-day management. 

In its letter to employees, the Better board of directors said that an independent third party firm had reviewed the company's workplace culture. Better.com is now implementing some changes, including "a company-wide training program on ensuring a respectful workplace" as well as adding more managers and a chief human resources officer. 

In December 2021, Vishal Garg laid off 9 per cent of his company's workforce over a Zoom call. "This isn't news that you're going to want to hear...If you're on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off. Your employment here is terminated effective immediately," Vishal Garg, 43, told employees.