Employee is fired via group chat in front of coworkers as a fear tactic: 'He just put her on blast in front of the whole company'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Oct 27, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

If you were fired in front of all of your coworkers, what would you do about that? 

Professionalism is important, and that extends to the higher-ups too. Too often, bosses feel like they can get away with something because they're the boss. But just because you're in charge doesn't mean that you're automatically in the right and get to exert absolute power over everyone else. This isn't how most people like to be treated, no matter who they are. The employee in this story didn't deserve to be called out in front of the entire group. This is no way to treat people, even when you're firing them. Nobody wants to feel like they're being made an example of, even if they are.

Have you ever had a job with a toxic environment? Luckily, I haven't experienced that... yet. But I've heard tell of so many toxic places of work that just don't seem to give their employees a break on anything. They have a culture of toxicity, and it's rotten to the core. Or maybe it's just one person who makes their own insecurities into everyone else's problem. Whatever it is, it makes you dread showing up to work. This is no way to live. That's what this workplace clearly was, evidenced by an incident that happened in the workplace group chat. Group chats can be tricky things. They're places where things get decided, and stuff goes down. But there is plenty of drama that can pervade a group chat. They're not always the friendliest places, especially in a toxic workplace. There is a lot that can go wrong in a group chat, and this employee figured that out posthaste. They couldn't expect that their ultimate termination would be aired out for the whole world to see.

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  • 01
    A business man carries out his things from the office after being fired
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Recreated scenario included to enhance reader understanding.  

    A business man carries out his things from the office after being fired

  • 02

    A coworker was just fired through our group chat.

    A little background, I'm returning (begrudgingly) to an old job because I was recently laid off and need some sort of income. I left for multiple reasons, but just today I was reminded of the biggest reason of all: inability to be professional.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 03
    The app this place uses for scheduling has an internal group chat. I checked the group messages this morning and the owner of the business fully terminated one of the other employees and put her on blast for everyone to see. Explaining the reasons for his decision and calling them unprofessional, ending it with a clarification to not use the company as a reference in the future.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 04
    This has to violate some sort of privacy law, right? I'm so pl ed that he just put her on blast in front of the whole company, it honestly feels like some sort of fear tactic to keep other employees in line.
    via u/SageSparten

    Nobody wants to feel like they're being exposed. If there is stuff going wrong in your life, work-related or otherwise, you probably want it to be on a need-to-know basis. You don't want your dirty laundry aired out to folks who don't have an investment in you. This can be deeply embarrassing and start things off on the wrong course with the people that you work with and respect. That's what was going on here, and the employee wondered what they could do about it. It seemed like a breach of privacy, or a breach of professionalism at the very least. It also bespoke a larger culture of toxicity at play. It seemed like the boss was using fear tactics to try to get the other employees to act up. This is no way to treat a group of adults. Keep reading to see what happened here, and let us know in the comments what you think about it.

  • 05

    Commenters gave their ideas and takes on this.

    _lucid_dreams This is incredibly r de of him to do, but it's not illegal. It just shows what kind of person he is.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 06
    Freddy Williams45 yes its a fear tactic, "watch how powerful and ruthless i am, fall in line slaves" i hope you all just walk out someday
    via u/SageSparten
  • 07
    the-truthseeker As noted by others, exceptionally unprofessional but not illegal or even technically unethical. That written, I would make arrangements to leave this place as soon as possible because this is simply a buy whose narcissistic tendencies make them have to show how powerful they are to intimidate others into knowing their "inferior" place
    via u/SageSparten
  • 08
    NolceHere67 Its very convenient how it's 'unprofessinal' usually when it doesn't favor the business or management
    via u/SageSparten
  • 09
    Two young professionals discuss something outside the workplace
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

    Two young professionals discuss something outside the workplace

  • 10
    Main-Animal-3499 Take screenshots of everything, hang onto them and wait, eventually they will come in very handy to yourself or someone else. Screenshots are discoverable in lawsuits so label and catalog them well. When dirt is needed on this person you will have it.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 11
    Wrecksomething Companies usually avoid expressing any reason for terminating someone. It opens them up to defamation suits. This is also why they generally won't confirm anything beyond your dates of employment when called as a reference.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 12
    I'm the US, it's perfectly legal to terminate someone for "no reason" or almost any reason at all (except the handful of protections like racial discrimination). So there's just not much incentive to share your rationale with anyone, ever.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 13
    That doesn't mean it's illegal. They'd probably claim their statements are true if they have a defamation suit; truth is a defense. But it's unwise, only benefit here is flexing the ego of the boss.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 14
    ScaryGarry_SG1 LOL Clown show. Any job that wants to include you in this nonsense, just watch them gasp in horror and "what are we gonna do" when you tell them you have no phone, and no plans to get one. They can talk to you about whatever they
    via u/SageSparten
  • 15
    need during workings hours, and never off the clock. They can whine, pout, whatever they want to when you will be far outside their chamber of 2am panic messages regarding something that can easily be fixed
    via u/SageSparten
  • 16
    eightfingeredtypist What number of people quit vs get fired? A high firing rate is a sign of a bad manager. I worked in a wood shop for ten years. I kept a list of people so left, but and the reason. The owner fired 60% of the people that left. It was because of bad hires and blaming people for management failures.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 17
    SweetMaam That's an unprofessional way to terminate employment. Can you offer to be a reference for that ex- employee, do it in the group chat?!
    via u/SageSparten
  • 18
    IllustratorAlive1174 It was a public execution/power trip. Made an example out of her so that you and the other employees don't "make the same mistake". Dude is just power tripping and wants everyone to know he's the boss
    via u/SageSparten
  • 19
    BeansNFrankz How many people work there approximately? If there are around 10 workers then I'd be advocating to form a labor union, get protection for the workers and then leverage your most valuable resource against them.
    via u/SageSparten
  • 20
    pwnageface Dude must be a very small man at home. Anything to make him feel big, including being an ah le, is how he validates himself.
    via u/SageSparten

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