'Within 15 minutes, I lost access to everything': Company celebrates employee's work anniversary only to fire him the very next day

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Feb 27, 2024 4:00 PM EST

As much as companies love to say that the workplace is just like a family, we all know that these people are not your family, sometimes they are not even your friends. Your boss doesn't see you as a family member, and they do not hesitate to toss you aside the moment you do not profit the company the way they expect you to. I don't know about your family, but it is definitely not how mine works.

The employee on this Reddit story learned these facts the hard way. A mere day after the company celebrates the employee's two-year anniversary in the firm, he is invited to a call in which he gets fired immediately. 15 minutes after that, he was no longer a member of that "family". The employee, shocked and hurt, was surprised to learn that the same thing happened to 25 other employees… Some family.

Scroll down to read the full story and the helpful commentary from other Redditors. Once you are done, click here for a story of a man who tried to buy his elderly neighbor's driveway for $1

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  • 01
    "Within 15 minutes, I lost access to everything"
    via Canva
  • 02
    I was randomly laid off yesterday without warning and got kicked off of everything once the meeting ended
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 03
    I'm still in shock in what happened yesterday. Thursday, the 22nd, was my two year anniversary at the company, we all celebrated briefly in a meeting. Then Thursday night I got a "Skip level meeting" invite
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 04
    with the VP of the department. He was the one who initially hired me and after googling what a skip level meeting was every article said to not panic, but it was just a chance to chat
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 05
    with upper management. So I carried on my Friday as usual working and thinking that the meeting was just a friendly catch up after my two year anniversary with the VP who I thought really
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 06
    liked working with me. I joined that meeting all excited and happy greeting him, and the tone suddenly shifted when someone from HR joined and I got news I got selected for the
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 07
    company lay offs. Within that 15 minute meeting, I lost access to everything I was signed into without warning and my world came crumbling down. Once that meeting ended, I was still sitting there in shock.
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 08
    All throughout last night, I got messages all over LinkedIn about how shocked and sudden it was when I left (more like kicked out). 25 people got selected for the first wave. The
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 09
    most shocking one, my direct supervisor didn't even know I was part of the selected group and messaged me apologizing that she didn't know and couldn't stop it since I got kicked out by the time she knew.
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 10
    All this to say, it's true what they say. Companies will kick you out in literally a heartbeat. I understand layoffs but the way the company went about it
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 11
    seemed so heartless... lesson learned. Within 15 minutes, everything I worked hard for the last 2 years meant nothing. My heart truly goes out to everyone on the same boat!
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 12
    kirrrrbylicious · 1 day ago The exact same thing happened to me last Friday. Random meeting, five minutes later I lost all my access. Four years of work just gone, and no one gives a of the day. It's an awful feeling. Sending all the good job search vibes your way. at the end
    via u/kirrrrbylicious
  • 13
    denimadept 1 day ago You are not your job. I learned that in 1991 after my first job ended. It strikes me as a very important lesson.
    via u/denimadept
  • 14
    Quirky_Ad_4086 OP. 1 day ago Definitely a lesson I won't forget!
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 15
    svenska_aeroplan. 1 day ago This has been my experience as well. The decision comes from someone so far removed from what you do, it doesn't matter how good
    via u/svenska_aeroplan
  • 16
    you were at your job or if your manager would have picked someone else. We're all just a line in a spreadsheet.
    via u/svenska_aeroplan
  • 17
    12whistle 1 day ago My lesson in life is to never be loyal to your employer but always be loyal to the good folks on your team. The company pays for your labor, not your loyalty and respect is a two way street.
    via u/12whistle
  • 18
    lestairwellwit. 1 day ago Picture yourself, a friendly frog, giving a scorpion a ride across the river. You know that one, huh? It's what scorpions do
    via u/lestairwellwit
  • 19
    The hard part is learning who the scorpions are. Good luck on your search and get some sturdier boots.
    via u/lestairwellwit
  • 20
    Quirky_Ad_4086 OP. 1 day ago Thank you!! I definitely learned the hard way this time around!
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 21
    Trash 1 day ago Panda2point0. You were not randomly selected like pulling a ping pong ball out of a drum. They already pegged you and the other 24 people to be laid off at least 2 weeks prior.
    via u/TrashPanda2point0
  • 22
    Quirky_Ad_4086 OP. 1 day ago I see that now but wouldn't they want us to prep some stuff prior to shutting us out? I had so many passwords that only I had access to for
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 23
    multiple accounts and proposals and projects that were due that afternoon seemed like poor planning on their part but guess that isn't my problem now!
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 24
    bdfariello 1 day ago Just a reminder that now that they've laid you off, you don't know a single password, and have Zero knowledge about those future proposals or current projects. You don't owe that company anything.
    via u/bdfariello
  • 25
    Allied R2 1 day ago · edited 16 hr. ago The main advantage may be that you were in the first wave. Companies tend to feel more guilty at the onset and pay better severance to those they first lay off. Subsequent waves often see only 30-50% of the severance. I hope that is your case.
    via u/AlliedR2
  • 26
    MutaitoSensei. 1 day ago Happened to me too. No employer can be trusted, we're not "family", and we can be thrown out on a whim, even in Canada here. Let the wound heal, but don't mask it.
    via u/MutaitoSensei
  • 27
    Quirky_Ad_4086 OP 1 day ago I definitely didn't see anyone as "family" but friends, yes especially the VP cause he was so invested in my career growth and just my life. I always talked so highly of him until yesterday. That
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086
  • 28
    was a real eye opener and disappointing to see. Co- workers are not friends.. learned the hard way but glad I learned it!
    via u/Quirky_Ad_4086

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getting fired boss workplace-stories employee fired toxic-workplace manager job tales-from-the-workplace reddit story workplace Reddit employment
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