Employee pleasantly surprised after she thinks she's getting fired but actually gets promoted, sparks others to share similarly misjudged meetings: ‘[I] got a $5K bonus instead!’

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Jul 4, 2025 5:00 PM EDT

It's not easy knowing what you might be getting into in the workplace these days. We all have been so traumatized by workplace culture past that it could literally be anything. Are you getting fired? A raise? A promotion? A mug that says "thanks for all your hardwork"? Who knows?! But, it is easier to prepare for the worst than then best, because then you aren't taken by surprise when you are let down. Plus, if it is a good thing, then you are pleasantly surprised and then it's really nice and fun! 

 

Turns out, this happens all of the time. You aren't the only one who has instant panic when HR sends the, "hey, can we have a quick chat?" message. The worst is when they just send "hey" and then it's like typing for five whole minutes. Are they asking you if you prefer bold or mild coffee for the office kitchen or are they letting you go effective immediately? It's hard to tell! And many feel this same way…

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  • Truly, you can turn to Reddit for anything these days, we trust it more than Google! So we are not surprised that we found similar sentiments on here with tons of others feeling the same way. Congrats on the promotion, Reddit! 

  • Cheezburger Image 10524026112
    via Unsplash+ (and Getty Images)

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

  • "Got Promoted Today But I First Thought I Was Getting Fired Instead"

    HR called me in with no context. Just a "please come by." No emojis. No smiley face. Immediate dread. I cleaned out my browser tabs, wore my most neutral expression, and even rehearsed an "I understand" speech.
    via AquaVelvetDivina
  • Turns out, it was a promotion. A big one. I was so sure I was getting canned, I had already pocketed a pen from their desk on instinct. Had to sneak it back like a guilty raccoon
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  • Anyway, I now manage a team of people who also think HR meetings are termination traps. Circle of life.
    via AquaVelvetDivina
  • Complete_Ad_1305 This is hilarious and also so much the zeitgeist of 2025. People don't even know if they're getting promoted or fired, there's simply no way of telling, the gaslighting has gotten so extreme that people literally have no idea where they stand
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  • By the way, something similar happened to me back in 2022, but reversed. I worked really hard, got an "exceeds expectations" performance review from my boss. Two months later they tried to give me summary dismissal for low performance, so no redundancy pay. I sued them and won. But it's just ridiculous, it's at the point where I can't take any corporate boss seriously anymore, I'm laughing behind their back.
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  • beginnerjay Some time ago I was responsible for a 100+ person engineering organization. I had budget to give out awards based on a few parameters, on the recommendation of front-line managers. The awards were about 2% of salary - so not life-changing, but more then just a dinner.
    via beginnerjay
  • One of the managers recommended I give an award to a young, bright, promising engineer (about a year out of school). I knew her and thought she was great, but seemed to lack confidence. I agreed the award would be good for her. My admin set up a short meeting for the next day. She comes into my office and was in tears! "What's wrong?!?!" I ask. "Are you going to fire me?"
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  • Global_Research_9335 In started as a manager once and used to hold 1:1 in a meeting room and I didn't realise it was the room where warnings and terminations happened. When I found out I totally changed the interior to make it happier and called it "the naughty room" ironically. I promised my staff that unless they had completed gross misconduct, I would support them to do the best they can and it would be clear if we needed to go down a path of formal performance management
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  • leading to termination and that termination was the next step, but I wanted to make sure that was few and far between. It took some reassuring and making sure the room was associated with positives and that they understood my approach was different before the vibe changed. When instant messaging came in I
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  • always made/make sure to pop a NTWAB in it, meaning nothing to worry about, because I had a boss who'd message me to come to his office just to rage and I know how triggering it can be. My team laugh at me doing that because they don't need the reassurance, but I feel compelled to do it.
    via Global_Research_9335
  • Cheezburger Image 10524040704
    via Unsplash+ (and A.C.)

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

  • Nice-Zombie356 I once had the "can we meet for a few minutes" invite from my manager. For some reason, I was worried it would be "that" meeting. Just before meeting time, I hit the restroom which is in building common area, just outside of our office space.
    via Nice-Zombie356
  • On the way back in, my badge wouldn't work to get back in the door to our space. Now I KNEW I was being let go. Nope. Badge thing was a brief glitch and meeting was routine. Holy crop though... Too bad I didn't get promoted. :-)
    via Nice-Zombie356
  • Boofy_Boofhead Was once called into a meeting with the big boss with no notice. Took a deep breath, stole the required box of paperclips, and then got a $5K bonus instead. I took the paperclips home anyway, and then took another box when I resigned 2 months later. I am starting a new job in August. I have included an extra box of paperclips in our stationery order.
    via Boofy_Boofhead
  • IAmTaking ThoseApples Congratulations bathe in the feeling for as long as you like, you earnt it! And yeah I get you about thinking HR meetings are termination traps I had one recently due to a lot of absences due to some traumatic things happening in my life. Went in fully prepared to defend myself, list the events, had GP letters and everything and I was
    via IAmTakingThoseApples
  • already rehearsing my openness to doing whatever they needed from me to show them that I am dedicated to getting back on track. Quite the opposite, they wanted to check in on my mental well being, provide me with a ton of resources the company has that might make things easier for me, and even have a call with whoever if I am getting grief about absence from work (I'm not but still).
    via IAmTakingThoseApples
  • Far-Seaweed3218 I remember getting the news of being promoted. My boss had me stop by his office. The first words out of his mouth were "you won." "Won what?" He then proceeded to read the e mail to me he got confirming my promotion. "We won!" With a huge grin on his face as he congratulated me on getting it. When he
    via Far-Seaweed3218
  • had me stop by, it was exactly a week to the day he had done my review. So I was in "what now?" Mode when he had me come see him. I had hit the highest mark for a merit raise the week before, so I was kind of shocked when it happened.
    via Far-Seaweed3218
  • Mercury2789 I had a similar experience last year. Our company was cutting a number of people and none of us knew who was on the list. On the second day I got an email that said I still had a job, but a few hours later the department manager sent me an instant message asking me to stop in his office (which had never happened). I sit in a
    via Mercury2789
  • different building so that was a very long. ten minute walk while assuming the worst. Turns out that I got a promotion. I was elated, but also had a bit of survivors guilt after hearing about others getting walked out the door.
    via Mercury2789

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management fun salary wholesome promotion boss employee hourly bonus manager job laughter work coworkers upper management co-workers upbeat employees inspirational career supervisor workplace happy Reddit company business
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