Company lays off senior employee 2 weeks before Christmas, asks her to redo part of an old project 6 months later: 'They barely gave me any severance. I was unemployed for 6 months.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Jun 18, 2025 8:00 PM EDT

There's something so definitive about firing or breaking up with somebody. If you do it, you must be 100% okay with never receiving anything from them ever again. You will never get another hour of work from an employee you fire. You may never see your ex again after breaking up with them, let alone become friends with them. These are extreme measures to take, and one must be willing to face the consequences of cutting someone out of their life, whether it be through work or otherwise. 

If a relationship is bad enough, you won't care too much if you'll never see them again. Likewise, if an employee is more hassle than they're worth, it's definitely worth the inconvenience of firing them and hiring someone better. You can't go back to the way your relationship was before cutting ties, so don't try to crawl back to someone you let go.

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  • 01

    They fired me. Now they want my help.

    Last December, I was laid off two weeks before Christmas, Ebeneezer Scrooge style. Why? The HR lady told me the company didn't have enough money to keep multiple senior editors on the payroll. They kept someone
    via u/Tannaquil

  • The worker in this story tried to reel an employee the company fired back into his orbit. He wanted her to do some additional work on an award-winning project she contributed to, but asked her to do so in a covert text. The former employee is unsure how to proceed with him.

  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10518985984
    via AllGo - An App For Plus Size People

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

  • 03
    who had been at the company longer than me, and the junior editor I trained. I was upset, but I left on good terms with almost everyone. I went to the holiday party, let everyone else pay for my drinks, and peaced out.
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 04
    They barely gave me any severance. I was unemployed for six months, and not for lack of trying. I just signed a contract with a new company.
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 05
    HH 16000X150, 1 250x200mm
    via LYCS Architecture

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

  • 06
    Tonight, I received a text from an old coworker, asking if I'm available to re-record and update parts of an award-winning project I edited while I worked there. Not even an email. A text.
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 07
    Now, this person and I did not part on good terms. About a month before I was laid off, he took over a project from me after too many rounds of his notes had us two weeks behind schedule. He didn't communicate clearly with me about what he wanted, and just did it himself over the weekend. I told my manager
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 08
    about his communication issues and bad time management, and brought it up at the next team meeting. This coworker responded by getting defensive, doubling down, and pulling from the old misogynist's playbook: manplaining to me about how to do my job, speaking to my male manager as if I weren't there, and calling my work "emotional"
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 09
    instead of "technical." I called him out on it in person and in a written performance review, but obviously, he still works there and I don't.
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 10
    Cheezburger Image 10518986496
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

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

  • 11
    I don't have proof that it was a retaliatory firing, but the timing very sus. The silver lining was that I didn't have to work with him anymore.
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 12
    My new contract doesn't prevent me from taking other freelance gigs and redoing my work on that project, and the extra money would be nice. But here's where I need your help, Reddit:
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 13
    Do I say no, and leave them to fend for themselves? Or do I say yes? If I say yes, what is the coldest, pettiest way of speaking to this guy and getting what I can from a company that screwed me over?
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 14
    iaretyrawr Give them the "f you" price, where it's enough to make it bearable for you to do. Think of a number, then double it or more. Otherwise, just walk away
    via u/iaretyrawr
  • 15
    Papa MoBucks My favorite is: think of a price that's so high you know they'll never pay it. Then add a zero. I've seen this price get agreed to a shocking number of times.
    via u/PapaMoBucks
  • 16
    genericnewlurker My friend got sh -canned from a accounting job but the CFO would occasionally call him up to hire him freelance to do something for cheap, basically what he was getting paid before. His wife and I convinced him to ask 5 times what they were paying him freelance because it was taking up so much of his free time.
    via u/genericnewlurker
  • 17
    They did so without batting an eye. He asked for twice the new amount the next time. They grumbled but accepted. Finally showing some real bills, he doubled it again the next time
    via u/genericnewlurker
  • 18
    They countered and he took it. I didn't know the amount but he told me it was 6 figures for 2 weeks worth of work. They were getting ready to sell the company and needed someone who knew the company finances to get everything in order, but didn't want the employees to know and jump ship.
    via u/genericnewlurker
  • 19
    SuperNashwan My colleague was offered £1k to do a weekend of work for his old company, but he didn't want to. I told him if that was the case then price it at £5k and they said yes.
    via u/SuperNashwan
  • 20
    Paladine_PSOT Text your old boss a screenshot of his text and ask "is he authorized to solicit outside contractors for work? I'd certainly consider it, for the right price considering it will take from my personal time. Who can I speak to about a consulting contract and appropriate agreements?" Best case they try to buy your time. Hilarious case he f ed up and deleted it and is about to get his sh caved in by management
    via u/Paladine_PSOT
  • 21
    Every-Spinach 1054 I didn't even think about that. He might be doing this without anyone's knowledge.
    via u/Every-Spinach1054
  • 22
    stopped_watch My thoughts exactly. There's a reason he reached out via text. He's incompetent and will screw OP over on payment.
    via u/stopped_watch
  • 23
    Tannaquil OP Oh, I like this! He mentioned putting me in touch with a producer - I'll see if I can find out who they are and contact them directly. The irony is, they laid their previous producer off six months before me. The last few months I worked there, the whole team made it clear we needed one. This must be a new person. Funny how they suddenly found the money.
    via u/Tannaquil
  • 24
    Grand_Stranger_3262 Don't trust him. Talk to someone you know works there - HR, Accountant, your old manager. This stinks to the heavens of incompetence and coverup - I'd put money on him having been revealed as incompetent following you being let go, and he's trying to get you to polish his
    via u/Grand_Stranger_3262
  • 25
    Gotham Central Charge a consulting rate, see if they still want you. Consulting rates are hourly and *steep*
    via u/GothamCentral

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terrible coworkers getting fired antiwork workplace-stories jobs employee fired job work coworkers working employees workplace coworker choosing beggar Reddit
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