Company fires 40 employees at once via a slide show, leaving them to scramble wondering why: 'We got bought by a tech giant and it turned into a cult'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Nov 6, 2025 10:00 AM EST

Being laid off is one thing. But you'd hope that they'd give you the dignity of a one-on-one meeting. 

Losing a job is not something anyone wants to experience. It's rough out there, and the protection of a job is a necessary one. Even if it's one you don't particularly like, you're grateful to have a job at all. But layoffs happen, and you can never be totally sure that your job is safe. You have to be prepared for all outcomes at every turn. There are a few decencies, though, that you hope your job would bestow on you, even as they're kicking you out. 

When you work somewhere, for however long, it means that you've given something to them. You've made sacrifices in order to do your job, and you've forked over a lot of your free time. You've made connections and given it your all. The least they can do in return is treat you like a human being. But this isn't as common as you'd like it to be. Sometimes, you just get lumped in with the herd. 

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  • 01
    A group of people all sit around a conference room while someone gives a presentation.
    via Campaign Creators

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

  • That's what happened to one worker who found himself in a sticky situation. After an emergency meeting was called, he knew that it wasn't looking great. But he couldn't quite guess what was in store from there. Read on to see what happened and decide what you would have done. 

  • 02

    Myself and 40 colleagues got canned via presentation today...

    I've been there for seven years, others for much longer. When I joined it was a small company, but then we got bought by a tech giant and it turned into a cult. We got an email yesterday evening saying we had an emergency face to face 9am 'company update', sent to all of us, whilst the rest of the company received a similar one at a different location.
    via u/PremiumOxygen
  • 03
    Seemed obvious what's about to happen. We were sat down and methodically/clinically told how they plan on somehow making the whole company into three teams and how we didn't fit in that structure. It reminded me a bit of 'Project Zeus', for any Peep Show fans out there.
    via u/PremiumOxygen
  • 04
    We got told if we wanted to stay and work we could, or leave for the day (uhm, guess which one we all picked?). I'm currently sat in a pub fruitlessly updating my LinkedIn and trying to not panic about the fact I'm fucked if I can't find another job in roughly two months thanks to my mortgage and other outgoings. Life is great, I'm glad humanity universally picked capitalism as the way forward.
    via u/PremiumOxygen
  • 05

    Commenters shared their sympathies.

    iamacheeto1 · 34m ago The audacity to ask you to stay for the day is insane
    via u/iamacheeto1
  • 06
    A man looks confusedly at his work computer at a meeting.
    via Headway

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

  • 07
    designbot 30m ago The only reason to stay for the day is to make sure you have everything you need from your work computer
    via u/designbot
  • 08
    Why YesIndeedIDo ⚫ 53m ago • I'm sorry that you became one of the casualties of this system. We need something better that's more people focused, not just profits.
    via u/WhyYesIndeedIDo
  • 09
    GreenThmb • 55m ago Connect with all your friends, something will click.
    via u/GreenThmb
  • 10
    Ivory Dynamite • 15m ago For what it's worth, I am rooting for you and doing. what I can to change The System.
    via u/IvoryDynamite
  • 11
    CntBlah 37m ago Sorry mate. Putting out good vibes for you
    via u/CntBlah
  • 12
    givemejumpjets • 26m ago Do you think "people" have suffered enough under monetarism (the reason you were looking for, calling it capitalism) to make the change to the game and raise up a far better option as in a resource based economy that
    via u/givemejumpjets
  • 13
    provides abundance and a standard of living that is so high that people will only ask why hadn't it been done sooner? If not then more dialoges must be had to convince more people to lose all hope in this criminal system of perpetual monetary enslavement.
    via u/givemejumpjets
  • 14
    Magnet2025 . 12m ago Sorry this happened to you. I think you will get a new role soon. But I do have to tell this story. There are many ways to conduct a layoff and a company I worked for experimented with several.
    via u/Magnet2025
  • 15
    One time was like yours, except not a presentation but a meeting. A person who had a pretty lackadaisical approach to work (showing up time, doing work, tunneling through the firewalls to let him game, etc.) had come in late and not read
    via u/Magnet2025
  • 16
    his email. Walking past a printer he saw an "All Hands Meeting" email which answered his question why a lot people had gone to the larger of two conference rooms.
    via u/Magnet2025
  • 17
    They began the meeting saying everyone should feel good, since this is the "survivor's meeting" and so he felt pretty good about the situation until he looked at the printed email and noticed that he was not on the "required" list of names.
    via u/Magnet2025
  • 18
    So he raised his hand and asked why his name wasn't on the list. They asked his name and then said "Oh, sorry, you need to be in conference room B." Every eye was on the poor guy as he shuffled out. There is no good way to tell people they are being laid off, but the "two meetings" method sucks.
    via u/Magnet2025

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boss antiwork workplace-stories toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working layoffs reddit story toxic-boss workplace reddit thread bad bosses Reddit toxic-work-environment
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