Programmer Ordered To Delete All Company Info After Being Laid Off, Boss Comes Back Begging For Files

Author image for kalila courban
kalila courban
Jan 13, 2022 9:00 AM EST

In today's episode of jerkwad companies trying to save money, we come across the story of OP, a programmer who designed and wrote software prototypes for an unnamed company. Due to management changes and other BS, OP is unfortunately laid off. New management comes back to bite their words however when after forcing OP to delete crucial data for his projects, his replacement is unable to get anything done. Sounds like justice. Sweet, sweet justice.  For another story of an employee getting the better of an ungrateful company, here's an ungrateful psycho boss that got instant karma.

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/oldman712 15 hours ago e & 2 13 e20 3 13 e Sorry, I deleted all the files you told me to delete. oC M
    via u/oldman712
  • 02
    Font - My job was to design and write software prototypes for individual high-value customers. If they liked it well enough, then a real software engineering team would build the real product. Occasionally, I would run the prototype for a few months while the customer evaluated if they wanted to buy the real project.
    via u/oldman712
  • 03
    Font - Now these prototypes are not a lot of code, but they do run with a lot of data. Even compressed, it can be terabyte or more. Having done this work for years, I've accumulated a small disk farm of past projects, which can be very useful when a customer asks for something just like we did last year, but with a small change or two. The company resisted buying hard drives for this, but it saves me so much time, I ended up buying one or two a year myself until I accumulated about 10 of them. F
    via u/oldman712
  • 04
    Font - Then unexpectedly management changes, new management thinks they can replace old software guy with a cheaper new software grad and I am laid off, with two weeks to "train" my replacement. (Yes, it's blatant age discrimination, but impossible to fight, so I just went for a graceful transition to my next job.)
    via u/oldman712
  • 05
    Font - Except, I have $1000 of personal disk drives with old customer data on them. Company insists that no ex- employees may take any company data off premises and all files must be deleted. I don't want to just leave the drives at the company, but they insist I must delete all data before taking them home. So I offer: 1. They can buy them from me 2. I will eventually use them for something else, but I can leave the data on them in case someone needs it
    via u/oldman712
  • 06
    Human body - Not good enough. New manager insists I must delete all data and all backups before I remove the drives. Okay. That's what I do.
    via u/oldman712
  • 07
    Font - Six months later, I get a series of desperate phone calls. New software grad has been unable to build any new prototypes. Old customers are calling to get old prototypes updated, and new software grad has no idea how to do that. Executive VP is calling to ask what would it take to bring me back to do my old job.
    via u/oldman712
  • 08
    Font - Sorry, I've got a new job now. And even if I didn't, I cannot just modify the old prototype because you insisted I delete all old copies of it. If I did want to modify it, I'd first have to re-create it from scratch. And that old series of six month's apart data we collected is gone for good, no matter what.
    via u/oldman712
  • 09
    Human body - Sorry, you screwed yourselves exactly like I told you would happen. Hope whatever you saved by hiring a new grad to replace an actual experienced programmer was worth it.
    via u/oldman712
  • 10
    Font - guster09 · 14 hr. ago "what would it take to get you back on our team?" Well, for one, you can dissolve the worst management team that got you into this mess. Next, you can resign. Only then would I EVER even BEGIN to consider working for your cheap company again. Thank you for your time and consideration on this matter.
    via guster09
  • 11
    Font - AustSakuraKyzor · 12 hr. ago My dad did something similar, though he wasn't laid off, just screwed over by higher ups bypassing him in the promotion line for less qualified people. So he retired early, leaving them scrambling for replacements. Turns out they had to hire six people to replace his job, and retroactively give him a pay raise backdated nearly ten years. He also told them that they'd have to be offering a six figure salary minimum before he goes back. They've yet to respond to
    via AustSakuraKyzor
  • 12
    Font - nofunheremovealongg · 13 hr. ago 2 Workmates partner was in this exact scenario: training inadequate replacement (rude IMO- adding insult to injury), deleting all backups over his objections, frantic kiss up phone call 4 months later. "What would it take to get you back?" "I'd consider it for (outrageous eye-watering) figure." A few futile negotiation attempts later, they actually agreed to his figure. At which point he said "Thanks, as promised, I've now considered it. NO."
    via nofunheremovealongg

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