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Journalism of Courage
An Indian employee recently shared on Reddit how he was suddenly laid off by his US-based company, and his post has gained a lot of attention online. He explained that the layoff happened without any prior warning, leaving him shocked and unprepared.
The employee said that he had been working from home as usual. On the day of the layoff, he woke up at 8.30 am, logged in at 9 am, and saw a meeting invite scheduled for 11 am.
It was a mandatory meeting with the company’s COO for all employees in India. When the meeting started, the COO joined briefly, turned off everyone’s cameras and microphones, and announced that the company had decided to lay off most of its Indian staff. The COO clarified that the decision was not related to employee performance but was due to “internal organisational restructuring.” After this, he informed them that those who were being let go would receive an email, and then he left the meeting without answering any questions.
The employee wrote that the sudden decision left him shaken. He mentioned, “There was no advance notice, no time to mentally prepare. They said October’s salary would be paid at the end of the month and any unused leave would be encashed. But none of this makes up for what I’m feeling right now. This is the first time I’ve ever been laid off, and honestly, it feels terrible.” For reference, if he was earning even around $1,000 (Rs 88,760, approximately), losing that income suddenly is a huge financial setback.
The post quickly went viral, and people on social media began showing support. Many users offered encouragement and even shared job leads. One person commented, “Sorry to hear this, man. I saw in your earlier comments that you’re from the media industry. If you’re open to financial services, I can refer you. It may not be much, but it could help.”
Another user wrote, “This is really sad. You deserve a workplace where you’re valued and respected. I’m sure you’ll find something better soon.”
A third person, who had gone through a similar experience, advised him to take a short break, polish his resume, and start preparing for interviews, though they admitted they themselves were still struggling to find opportunities after being laid off last month.
However, not all comments were supportive. Some users asked for the company’s name and even insisted on “naming and shaming” it. Responding to such demands, the original poster clarified in his edit, “If you’re being rude or calling this post fake just because I didn’t reveal the company’s name, I won’t interact with you. Today has already been hell for me. For those who asked politely, I’ve mentioned the company in replies. Please learn how to speak respectfully.”
