Executive orders fired employee to keep working, running errands and monitoring emails without pay, threatens their career when they refuse: ‘now, after being fired I’m supposed to be a team player?’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Feb 19, 2025 9:00 AM EST

The delusion of certain bosses never ceases to amaze. They somehow interpret a layoff as more of a casual suggestion than an actual termination, treating terminated employees like personal assistants who just happened to stop getting paid. These are the same people who believe budget cuts mean unlimited access to your time and energy, just without the pesky obligation of compensation. The audacity of expecting you to maintain the same level of dedication after showing you the door is pretty spectacular.

These bosses live in a parallel universe where personal errands are somehow crucial business tasks, where being laid off means you should be even more eager to please, and where saying no makes you ungrateful rather than, you know, unemployed. They hold future recommendations like weapons and throw around terms like team spirit as if loyalty should survive termination. The nerve of expecting someone to remain your personal errand runner after firing them would be hilarious if it weren't so infuriating.

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  • "Laid off, but my exec expects me to still work. Am I in the wrong for saying no?"

    "For the first time, I told her no and it felt so good" יויו
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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • I was laid off on Monday due to budget cuts and was told I would be paid for two weeks, and only needed to work a few hours over a day or two to help teach and delegate my duties.
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  • One employee faced this exact situation when their executive kept demanding personal favors post-layoff, from gas fill-ups to rug deliveries. When they finally started declining these requests, the threats about future opportunities quickly followed.

  • I went in the office Tuesday and went through my list of reoccurring tasks and taught them to my colleagues that were taking them on. When I was wrapping up, my exec asked me
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  • to go put gas in their car & to pickup their (stay at home) spouses prescription. For the first time, I told them no and it felt so good.
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  • Yesterday I was called at 8:00am and asked to watch emails & texts for 2 hours while they were at an event. This I did, however when I was asked to do it again at 6pm while they were at a dinner I said no.
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    via The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • This morning, I get another call from my exec at 8am and I don't answer. I immediately get three texts back to back asking me to find and forward past emails to someone. I respond telling her which folders those emails are in and who they're from but did not send them myself.
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  • Again this afternoon I get a texting asking me to bring lunch & pick up/drop off a rug to their house, I said i wasn't able to but really wish i didn't reply at all. I immediately get a call (that I did not answer) and a voicemail
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  • telling me how disappointing I am for not being a team player and they apparently lined up an interview up for me with a big name in our industry, but doesn't think she can go through with it with due to my new attitude.
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  • Am I in the wrong? I don't feel that I'm obligated to do personal tasks since I have been laid off and it was never in my job duties to begin with. I have done everything i can to help prepare
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  • my team to take on my tasks and have remained polite & respectful when declining to do something (it is not uncommon for my exec to blacklist people from our industry for crossing
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  • her). In addition to this, I was told my termination won't be communicated to/processed through corporate until the end of the two weeks I'm supposed to be paid through. I'm worried i
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  • won't receive that if i don't continue to do everything asked of me but that's honestly a risk I'm willing to take.
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  • I felt free for the first time in a long time when I was let go. My exec "jokingly" told someone I was more of the help than her staff (?) and now, after being fired I'm supposed to be a team player?
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  • I don't know if I more so needed to vent or need advice more. I guess I'm just curious, would you handle this differently? Am I doing too much or not enough?
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  • Imagine being shocked by a fired employee refusing to work free

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    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • redthoughtful You're not wrong, and there was never any interview.
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  • K_NORRIS Your job does not understand what laying an employee off means. Also, why are you expected to run personal errands on the clock?
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  • Please go and find a new employer. They are trying to take advantage of you. i wish my job would write me a lay off letter, give me a severance package, and then still expect me to work.
    via K_NORRIS
  • GloomyRoyal227 You're being disrespected. Don't take that crop. I'd call out sick for the remainder
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  • abvgdeika Google the definition of "laid off", make a screenshot and every time they ask for a task send them the screenshot of the definition.
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  • What you are paid is severance, not a salary, you don't have to work, especially pick up their lunches. Uber Eats and Grubhubs of the world aren't cancelled.
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  • DoubleDigits2020 The only work you should be doing is stuff related to your transition, which it sounds like you've already done.
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  • The rest sounds highly unprofessional (and maybe illegal?). They are definitely suppose to communicate your termination to corporate and remove your access to their system.
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  • This person sounds highly manipulative, there is no potential job interview. There are laws that govern these things, I would ask a legal or employment sub and mention ur state/country. If you know a lawyer, ask one.
    via DoubleDigits2020

  • Sometimes getting fired turns out to be oddly liberating, that magical moment when you realize you no longer have to pretend these ridiculous demands are normal. The cliche says every end is a new beginning and sometimes nothing helps you find your dignity quite like losing your job.

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management boss workplace-stories hr toxic-workplace manager bosses work PTO managers supervisor workplace Horrible Bosses work-life balance
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