Employee gets laid off and is asked to train the recent grad replacing him for $12k less, he refuses to play along: ‘They decided to let me go so they could bring in someone cheaper.’

Author image for Cata Holmes
Cata Holmes • Writer
Sep 30, 2026 2:00 PM EDT

Would you train the person the company hired to replace you for less money?

There's something so strange about the way this company decided to fire this employee. When it comes to working for someone, what's more important? Being good at the job and having good performance reviews? Or the salary you have? One would say that having good results is enough, but in this case, this employee got laid off because his salary apparently was too high.

Needless to say, this salary was something that was negotiated with the company when he first joined, so it's weird that now they are acting like it's too much money. Of course, this is not what they said to him. They make it look "less important". The employee had a 1:1 with his manager, and she told him that the role was being eliminated. 

After that, she immediately asked him to train the replacement, Jenna, who's a recent graduate and will be taking over the same responsibilities that he had, only for 12k less per year. So, essentially, they didn't eliminated the role: they just replaced him with someone cheaper. That's what I mean about what's more important, and for some, the amount of money you earn is more valuable than the results you deliver.

He refused to train Jenna. He was very clear with the manager and said that he would finish anything that needed to get done and leave instructions for her. But, he won't spend any more of his now personal time explaining her with details everything she needs to do. The manager was upset, to say the least. She accused him of being unprofessional and said that training a replacement is part of his current tasks.

And let me just confirm that no, he didn't do wrong. If I realized that I'm being fired because they want to hire someone cheaper, then no, I won't spend any more than I did at that company. 

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  • Employee works on his laptop during his final weeks at the company after refusing to train his replacement personally.
    via Unsplash+ (via Vitaly Gariev)

    Employee works on his laptop during his final weeks at the company after refusing to train his replacement personally.

    Actor performance of story events.

  • I've been working at a small advertising agency for almost four years, and I have a very good record there. I've never received any warnings, my performance reviews have been good, and all my campaigns have always been delivered on time. A few days
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  • ago, my manager told me they were eliminating my role at the company and that the end of the month would be my last day. Immediately afterward, she told me I would be training Jenna, who is 24 and recently graduated.
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  • Jenna will be doing almost the same work as me for about $12,000 less per year, so when they say they eliminated my position, it doesn't seem honest at all.
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  • I told her I would finish the work on the accounts I'm currently handling and leave detailed instructions for everything I'm responsible for. But I'm not going to sit with Jenna in training sessions and teach her how to take over my job. My manager
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  • said that helping with the transition is part of my responsibilities and that my refusal makes me look unprofessional.
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  • She also said she was disappointed in me because she expected me to handle the situation better. I explained that I'm still completing my work and documenting every process, which I think is more than
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  • enough after they decided to let me go so they could bring in someone cheaper.
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  • Two of my coworkers think I should keep my head down and go along with it so I don't burn the bridge between me and the company. My girlfriend says refusing to train her is petty since
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  • I'm leaving either way. But I genuinely don't understand why I'm supposed to make it easier for them to replace me. AM I guilty?
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  • Employee takes a call at the office after being asked to train the person hired to take over his job for less money.
    via Unsplash+ (via Vitaly Gariev)

    Employee takes a call at the office after being asked to train the person hired to take over his job for less money.

    Model portrayal.

  • Most readers agreed that he doesn't have to train this new girl, because if the company fired him, he's no longer part of it… so why would he take it on if he won't get paid for it?

  • Calichusetts Pay = compensation. You are now asked to do more, get paid more.
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  • Odd Welcome7940 The company is firing you... I sort of bridge do these dumba coworkers think still exists?
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  • FreshLiterature Burn what bridge? You're the one who is going to set the context for that job with every future prospective employer. There are diplomatic ways to say your position was eliminated to save $12k a year.
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  • eques_99 I do wish people would stop waffling on about "not burning bridges". I does that even mean? are you ever likely to want to work there again? with those same people?
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  • DomedPyramid I wouldn't train a replacement for any reason other than it was entirely my decision to leave. They force me out, they can deal with it. Besides, the tricks, short cuts, and efficiency is why they keep people on and pay more. You don't owe them anything. It's also illegal for them to trash talk you to other perspective employers.
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  • Zealousideal-Cod-924 I suppose it all depends on how much severance they're offering you. If it's a nice big juicy lump, I'd do the bare minimum to keep them sweet. If it's not, or no severance at all, I'd light up my career path with the flames of the bridge burning behind me.
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  • Employee checks his phone at work after learning his company is eliminating his role.
    via Unsplash+ (via Vitaly Gariev)

    Employee checks his phone at work after learning his company is eliminating his role.

    Featured likenesses do not identify those mentioned.

  • Hustlasaurus Dude the whole "don't burn bridges" is garbage to keep people compliant when they are leaving. I've burned bridges and it's never come back to bite me yet. The people who I like and respect, like and respect me and we support each other.
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  • Crafty-Beyond-2202 I think you should just sk it up and train her... ...wrong on purpose (as a practical joke)
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  • jolaval2024 I would tell them to f right off and just walk. Im happy to be in a place with strong labour laws cuz that would not fly here at all. I would get like a 3-5 year settlement if they tried pulling that sht here
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  • xxXX69yourmom69XXxx No call no show tomorrow and the rest of this month. F them, they're not eliminating your position, just firing you slowly and hoping you're a sucker who will help them out.
    via Great_Computer195

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replacement salary employee manager new hire laid off
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