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Howard Stern‘s radio empire just got a lot smaller.

The longtime shock jock has laid off roughly a dozen staffers from his SiriusXM show, signaling a new phase in a career that has spanned decades.

The layoffs come just months after Howard Stern signed a new deal promising him more “flexibility,” a term that’s now taking on a very different meaning for those who lost their jobs.

Howard Stern Downsizes To One Episode A Week

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Stern is shaking things up in a big way, and staffers are paying the price. The shock jock has laid off around a dozen employees from his SiriusXM show, with plans to slash his lineup down to just one new episode a week once Labor Day hits.

The brutal news reportedly came without warning, delivered coldly over a Zoom call on Monday. Staffers were told point-blank that Stern would be cutting way back once he returns from his summer break, with sources revealing he “doesn’t need that much content anymore,” according to Page Six.

While Stern kept his core team of veteran producers intact, the rest of his airtime is expected to be padded with recycled material pulled straight from his massive archive. Those let go were reportedly sent home immediately after the call, left to process the fallout with only a severance check based on their tenure. 

The Layoffs Come Just Months After His New ‘Flexibility’ Deal

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The timing of the cuts is raising eyebrows, especially since Stern signed a brand-new SiriusXM contract just months earlier. The radio veteran inked the three-year deal in December after months of speculation about his future on the air, telling fans he had finally “figured out a way to have it all.”

At the time, Stern credited the agreement with giving him more “flexibility,” promising both continued airtime and more personal freedom. He even joked that he was never bored, insisting he stayed “busy every minute” despite wanting more days off.

Now, that same flexibility appears to be translating into fewer original episodes and a smaller production team, leaving some to wonder if his definition of “having it all” came at his staff’s expense.

Howard Stern’s History Of Underpaying Staff Resurfaced Before The Layoffs

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The latest round of layoffs isn’t the first time Stern has faced criticism over how he treats his staff. Former employees Jackie Martling, John Melendez, and Steve Grillo have long claimed they were severely underpaid despite the fortune Stern amassed over the years.

Martling, who worked on the show from 1983 to 2001, previously said it was “frightening” watching how much money came in while much of the staff remained underpaid. He recalled being let go himself after simply asking for a raise, calling the decision baffling given their friendship.

Grillo made similar claims, revealing he once worked years without pay and was later paid minimum wage without proper compensation for his hours. The Blast reported that he ultimately left the show after feeling Stern refused to advocate for him despite earning what he described as “a million dollars an hour.”

The Host Is Currently Fighting A $2.5 Million Legal Battle Too

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Amid the layoffs and resurfacing workplace complaints, Stern is also battling a $2.5 million lawsuit from his former executive assistant, who accuses him and his wife, Beth, of fostering a hostile work environment.

Stern has pushed back hard against the claims, calling the case a “shakedown” and a “transparent sham” in legal filings. His attorney argued the dispute centers on non-disclosure agreements the assistant knowingly signed before joining the couple’s household staff.

The lawsuit claims the assistant was let go just two months after being promised a substantial raise and bonus. Her attorney has since rejected Stern’s dismissal request, insisting the case will only expand rather than wind down anytime soon.

Howard Stern’s Team Once Feared Losing Their Jobs Long Before The Layoffs

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The recent layoffs may not have come as a total surprise to Stern’s staff, who reportedly lived under the shadow of job insecurity for months before this week’s cuts. Back when speculation swirled about the show’s cancellation entirely, employees openly worried about losing their primary source of income.

Sources close to the show said that Stern tended to fire people at a moment’s notice, and that employees would be nervous that any slight error would cost them their job.

Employees were also reportedly under non-disclosure agreements which denied them the freedom to speak out publicly about their concerns, adding to the tension. He even went so far as to have a former Air Force interrogator search his own group to find a suspected spy.

Will Howard Stern get more lawsuits from the recent layoffs?

The Howard Stern Exercises Newfound ‘Flexibility’ With Staff Layoffs Over Zoom first appeared on The Blast