Boss hints that coworker is about to be fired, coworker is racked with guilt wondering if they should say something: 'She just bought a new home'

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JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Aug 16, 2026 11:15 AM EDT

Would you tell your coworker if they were about to get fired? 

Loyalty is an interesting thing in the workplace. It's important to demonstrate loyalty to your team and to your company, and that's how you get rewarded for your efforts, but your ultimate loyalty is to yourself. You don't want to compromise your values just for a sense of corporate pride. This will never bring you the rewards that you desire it to. Sometimes, though, over the course of a job, your allegiances are tested. Maybe your boss is wondering what you would do if a roadblock hit your path, and wants to test your ability to navigate it. These types of sneaky tests, though, are usually not a good idea. It's better to be up front and honest about your goals, no matter what they are. You can't expect people to read your mind and intuit everything that's going through it. The boss in this story, though, put their employee in a pretty awkward situation when she laid out one of these loyalty tests. 

Sometimes you happen upon a piece of information that you wish you hadn't received. You weren't looking for it, but there it is in your path, just waiting to mess everything up. You didn't choose to be in this gauntlet, but you landed in it nonetheless, and now you have to deal with the consequences. That's what happened to this employee, in a story that they shared to the work subreddit. Their boss did some pretty threatening hinting that one of their team was about to be let go. The subject of this termination had not been notified, though, and the employee was left wondering if they had done the right thing by saying nothing. It's not easy to sit on a piece of information that you know will mess up someone else's life. They were left wondering just what to do, and the internet provided some answers. 

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  • A stressed employee sits at a cubby with his laptop
    via Tim Gouw

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


    A stressed employee sits at a cubby with his laptop

  • Should I tell my coworker that she's getting fired?

    I work in a corporate environment. I have a coworker who's very good at her job, but rather loud. You can hear her laughing/ shouting from a mile away. I had my issues with her at first because of how loud she is, but I learned to love her regardless. The office would be incredibly boring without her.
    via veguhn
  • A week ago, our boss took me in his office and confessed that someone is disturbing the peace and doesn't fit in with the rest of the team, I couldn't disagree more, their arguments seem ego driven, but that doesn't matter.
    via veguhn
  • Now, management asked her to train a coworker of ours for her job... in case she goes on vacation (she was on leave for 6+ months and our boss replaced her, coincidentally this time they need an actual replacement). This coworker is actually a close friend of hers, I don't believe that she knows she's getting fired, I don't think they've put 2+2 together.
    via veguhn
  • Guilt is eating me alive. This woman has just gone through a divorce, she just bought a new home. I feel so bad, especially because she's the only one who brings the whole team together, she's loud but very warm and loves to make everyone feel included. I'm so angry at management for this idiotic decision, but I have O say in it.
    via veguhn
  • How f ed am I if I try hinting at it? Our boss made sure to let me know the information is confidential, but at this point just them. f
    via veguhn

  • Commenters gave their advice on how to navigate this situation.

    Serious_Bee_2013 Stay out of it and in your lane.
    via Serious_Bee_2013
  • PasswordisPurrito Kind of f ed up that your boss told you like this, like what did they have to gain? I think the craziest outcome would be you tell her, and then it turns out that your boss was talking about someone else.
    via veguhn
  • A stressed employee sits facing his laptop at a desk
    via Daniele D'Andreti

    Representative only.


    A stressed employee sits facing his laptop at a desk

  • But really, what you do is tell yourself that you didn't hear anything. Like, what you are wanting to happen is you tell her so she can, on the downlow start looking for a new job. But you'll be so cooked if you tell her and she goes straight to the boss with the info.
    via veguhn
  • nzv1981 This is a hard one. However, I would keep it confidential because I wouldn't want to be the next one fired (especially in this job market). Sometimes people. get very emotional and she may accidentally say your name.
    via veguhn
  • rlpinca It is the right thing to do. But EVERY time I have or someone I know has given the target a heads-up, it bites them in the a
    via veguhn
  • OriginalEmploy5485 Boss absolutely should not have told you. That said, it depends on whether you want to be next on their list.
    via veguhn
  • chuckinhoutex What would it really change if you told her? Also, you THINK you know what's going to happen, but you don't, really. And finally, even if there was some actual answer to the first question, how much of your
    via veguhn
  • job security are you willing to risk to get the coworker that benefit? This isn't a whistleblower moment, which basically means it's not ya bizness. As you indicate- there are context clues around, if she's not picking them up, not much
    via veguhn
  • you can do. You'd be surprised at how often people really will s ot the messenger, and suddenly in her mind you were the one who complained and got her fired. Mind ya bizness.
    via veguhn
  • 74Flossy Don't get involved! If you say anything your boss will know it came from you! And you could lose your job next for divulging confidential information that your boss trusted you with! Plus you are proving yourself to be untrustworthy! If you know what's good for you say nothing! Don't get involved!
    via veguhn

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Tags

getting fired boss antiwork workplace-stories fired toxic-workplace job bosses work coworkers working workplace bad bosses toxic-work-environment
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