‘Nobody at work is your friend’: Boss betrays a loyal employee, notifying him that he's fired by asking him to train his replacement

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Nov 25, 2023 5:00 PM EST

When an employee leaves a company, there's a duty-vacuum that opens up in their wake. All of the responsibilities that that employee once did are now left to the devices of those left behind. Usually, it's simply a nuisance until the higher ups hire someone new, but for some, that opens a door of opportunity into a promotion. Who needs to hire a new person if they've got the perfect fit already trained and doing the work for them? Most employees would consider themselves a shoe-in for a job position like that, but in our next tale, one man gets totally burned by his expectations, leading him straight to the unemployment line instead of the top floor. 

Scroll onward to catch a glimpse into the minds of C-level management, confused at the hierarchy of employment and using the woes of their employees against them. This is the kind of story that makes you rethink your own security at work, simply because we were always led to believe that if you work really hard, you'll be rewarded. In this instance, u/dr_bassius was rewarded with a crisp pink slip after lamenting over a lost promotion. 

Next on your reading list, here's another workplace drama where a severely underpaid doctor was denied a raise and found a job elsewhere making triple the salary.

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  • 01
    r/antiwork Posted by u/dr_bassius 8 hours ago it's the WAY i got fired....omg. i just...can't On Monday during a ceo meeting that I had to film, and run audio and computers for, my fresh-new manager (new direct-report) came over to see how I was doing with setup. He apologized for not
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 02
    getting back to me with an email about some other stuff because he was busy doing interviews for my old manager's old job. I have been doing a lot of my old boss' work as he left in October for a better job elsewhere and this new guy was my temp boss) and I said wait what?
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 03
    I had assumed this whole time that I would hear about a promotion or something because I've been doing a great job and picking up the slack since my actual manager left etc etc. And then became kind of upset that no one told me that my old manager's position was an open position.
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 04
    No. one. told. me. It's been up for three weeks. on workday. I assumed that I would get promoted eventually to that spot because I'm doing everything that that position already has and needs. (I looked at the job postings description and they literally describe what I'm doing everyday, basically)
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 05
    Well, I was upset. new boss let me vent and said he was safe and understanding. Go ahead, let it out. He probably recorded me with his phone who knows. Idk. one of the things I said while I was venting was if I had to train someone above me, I would be upset and quit. I asked him "you
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 06
    wouldn't want to do that right? Vent vent blah blah" I remained professional but he said I was safe to "let it out" and he would talk to the VP above him so see about me getting an interview... well at least that's what he told me. Radio silence the rest of Monday. I did my
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 07
    meeting for the ceo and it was perfectly executed. (the CEO actually likes me because we're both musicians and im a really good one and he's impressed...) Well, apparently, new boss told his boss, the IT VP, everything I vented about. Vp must have taken it as an actual threat so like "well I guess we accept that as his resignation"
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 08
    Before I'd even left the house on Tuesday morning, I got a phone call: new boss, that vp and my HR person and they said "effective immediately we accept your resignation please come turn in your stuff."
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 09
    I did not resign. I was termed. No warning. No talk. , reprimand me. Put me on notice. Something. Nope. Noose. game over, man...game over... I got I over this morning. For venting my frustrations.
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 10
    If you, the reader, had to train someone making $20-30k more than you, would you be ? I feel like new boss trapped me. Tricked me. Idk. (I'm desperate and paranoid lol) Anyway. It just ;. Of All my coworkers that I talked to today that enjoyed my work there were flabbergasted by this. I've done nothing less that exemplary work. Welp there you have it.
    via u/dr_bassius
  • 11
    BisquickNinja 8 hr. ago. edited 3 min. ago You need to send a formal email saying you did not resign. You were fired. I don't know if you are in the United States or not. But things like this matter. Also, never, ever vent to your boss, they are not your friend, they are not your buddy, they are your co-worker and supervisor. They are not on your side.
    via u/BisquickNinja
  • 12
    stevieay 8 hr. ago Don't sign anything. You didn't resign. 711 Reply Share ... Ok-Technology-8908 - 8 hr. ago JP513 7 hr. ago I dont think they can say you resigned, even if they have an audio. If you didnt use official methods you can fight it, and say you were fired
    via u/stevieay
  • 13
    jasoninaz 8 hr. ago People at work are not your friends. 182 Reply Share decstation 6 hr. ago Sometimes they are but it is rare. I have several people I am very close to that I met via my employment. I'd say it is a less than 1% thing.
    via u/jasoninaz
  • 14
    BushidoCowboy81 7 hr. ago Repeat after me: "No one at work is your friend" 232 Reply Share Ok-Ant7927 2 hr. ago Amen
    via u/Bushid0C0wb0y81
  • 15
    lipsticknic3 6 hr. ago This is a terrible way to learn this lesson. The betrayal is real. You've learned now that people at work are not good, and they will lie. This feels almost like entrapment. You were lured into a false sense of security and I'm sure everything was kind of out of context. He probably made it seem like you came up spewing and unhinged. I'm so, so sorry.
    via u/lipsticknic3
  • 16
    AvocadoChps 2 hr. ago Oh my goodness. Never ever ever vent to anyone at work ever. Nobody is your friend at work. People will betray you so they can get more money. I wish you the best though...
    via u/AvocadoChps
  • 17
    claymir . 8 hr. ago Well, this is a good lesson for everyone. Don't vent against colleagues, it will bite you in the 245 Reply Share ... Unique_Football_8839 7 hr. ago When in doubt, keep your mouth shut. When not in doubt, keep your mouth shut anyway. It's infinitely more likely you'll get in trouble for something you did say than for something you didn't.
    via u/claymir
  • 18
    mammbo 5 hr. ago This is indeed workplace rule number 1. 2 no-one is your friend 3 promises mean nothing 4 you are just a number 5 work your salary 6 work your job description
    via u/mammbo
  • 19
    7 they are not your family 8 do not answer your phone when not at work 9 document everything 10 save all emails 11 join your union I'm sure there are a lot more, please add.
    via u/mammbo
  • 20
    _Chaos_Star_ 5 hr. ago boundless potential & revenant tones Make it clear you have not resigned. Ask if they are terminating you and say you'll need that in writing. ↑ 40 Reply Share Lionello95 7 hr. ago "Oh, that must have been a misunderstanding. I did not put in my letter of resignation and did not resign. At least not yet."
    via u/_Chaos_Star_
  • 21
    The Man-In Black - 5 hr. ago Show up for work tomorrow. If they ask why you are here, tell them you work here. If they say you resigned, ask to see your letter of resignation because you didnt resign. Then if they argue, tell them you will be speaking to a lawyer for unfair dismissal.
    via u/The_Man-In_Black
  • 22
    KidenStormsoarer - 4 hr. ago . EMAIL HR IMMEDIATELY THAT YOU DO NOT RESIGN. make sure to mention that you are fully willing and able to continue in your position, and that you have no intention of resigning. Ask if you are terminated and if so, what severance they are offering.
    via u/KidenSyormsoarer
  • 23
    realtalkrach 5 hr. ago Eff all of this! Call the CEO if y'all are good and let him know. Chances are he is not informed of this decision. The answer is always no if you don't ask. What else do you have to lose? Side note what a bunch of_______.
    via u/realtalkrach
  • 24
    "I assumed that I would get. promoted... [but instead] I got terminated"
    via u/canva

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promotion boss worker employee fired manager great resignation bosses work coworkers terminated working surprise employees resigned supervisor workplace coworker
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