Toxic boss lays off employee and gives them 8 weeks' severance, unaware that they landed a new job and were planning to resign that day: ‘I posted my… LinkedIn update crowing about my new job’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Feb 18, 2026 12:00 PM EST

A resignation plus severance is serendipitous.

Who knew that landing a unicorn job offer, resigning, and receiving eight weeks of severance could happen all within the same week? They say bad luck comes in threes, but what about good luck? Seems pretty rad to us.

Getting a new job is exciting. You're turning a new page, starting a new chapter. If you're leaving behind grayer pastures, even better. Your career is now in technicolor; you no longer have to bear the weight of a toxic boss making you do all the work they don't want to. When you escape a toxic work environment, you know you've truly made it.

The toxic work environment in this next story? Well, the manager who contributes to it tries to chew an employee and spit it out, but fails miserably. Instead, they lose the longstanding battle they have with their employee, whom they just laid off, not knowing that the employee planned to resign… Toxic work environment escape, plus double pay? How poetic!

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  • A man smiles at his phone while using his computer.
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    A man smiles at his phone while using his computer.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • "the most satisfied I've ever been in my life right now"

    I received a job offer last Thursday after months of searching because of a hostile work environment (absent & s xist boss, among other issues including refusing to discuss my concerns about an ethical issue).
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • I prepared my resignation to send out Friday at 4:59 pm before the weekend so I could log off and disappear.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool

  • There's nothing like receiving a job offer after withstanding workplace mistreatment for far too long. You almost can't believe you're free from the shackles of an enviornment that doesn't serve you, paired with the very real reality of moving up in your career.

    This employee has plans to prove to their toxic boss that they're the worst, basically, but the universe has other plans…

  • So in the morning (yesterday), I get on my usual weekly Friday morning Zoom call with said toxic boss, super nervous because I didn't want to give away that I was resigning at the end of the day.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • I was surprised to find his HR Rep is also on the call with him. Long story short, I got laid off due to a "reorganization" (which I know is B but that's another story).
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • Before I could absorb the news, they said they were giving me 8 weeks severance...which I had to struggle to accept with a sad face.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • They sent a courier to my house with a check, which I took directly to the bank without passing Go.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • Then as soon as I got home I posted my already-prepared LinkedIn update crowing about my new job and graciously thanking my old job for the opportunities etc, just the usual spiel.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • I called out everyone I worked with but him. I should mention, said toxic boss is one of my LI connections.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • A close-up shot of the networking platform, LinkedIn.
    via Souvik Banerjee for Unsplash

    A close-up shot of the networking platform, LinkedIn.

  • Ten minutes ago my old co-worker sent me a screenshot of Slack messages she was having with toxic boss, who was absolutely fuming about the timing of it all.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool

  • This is the way. Get the money, duck out, and live your life. The toxic manager got what they deserved in the end. How do you go on treating employees poorly without a second thought? It's immoral.

    Now, with eight weeks of extra pay, a great job lined up, and a silly grin moving forward, this employee learns that in the end, the universe has even better plans for them than they could've imagined.

  • "If I had waited one more ing day!!" was the highlight. Anyway, I have two whole weeks that I get paid to do f all and enjoy my big fat severance check before I start my new job on March 2.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • L O all the way to the bank. I am so excited to have 6 weeks extra pay haha.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • Terinekah So happy for you, and to be honest, for an organisation/business to give someone the sack on a Friday is pretty poor form. If someone isn't in a good headspace, just before a weekend when they might be alone is just not the decent thing to do. In your case though, I'm glad the timing bit your boss in the arse - sounds like it was thoroughly deserved and stung like a biatch. Hahahaha
    via Terinekah
  • OP kind_is_the_new_cool Oh they did it Friday because my boss was going on vacation for two weeks. And that's why I chose that Friday as well, because I'd never have to see him again. hahahahaha
    via kind_is_the_new_cool
  • AlterEgo_Persuasion And you my dear, were the driver of that karma bus toot toot mf
    via AlterEgo_Persuasion
  • Road-to-Lurker-678 This is the only good job search news; the karma is strong with this one
    via Road-to-Lurker-678
  • juji96 God I love karma
    via juji96
  • HeadTransportation95 It is terrible, and it's unfortunately standard to fire employees on Fridays in America. I recently got laid off on a Friday, two weeks before Christmas!
    via HeadTransportation95
  • HeadTransportation95 "Alexa, play 'Perfect Timing' by Queen Herby" - Congratulations!!
    via HeadTransportation95
  • OP kind_is_the_new_cool Thank you all, some amazing responses here. It's been a great weekend this week I'm taking my mom to a bunch of museums and we're planning to do a road trip next week. Definitely not blowing the whole check at once but still going to have some nice fun with it.
    via kind_is_the_new_cool

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Tags

severance workplace-stories employee revenge laid off entitled people karma Horrible Bosses
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