An Indian employee working remotely for a US-based firm has shared a sudden and shocking layoff experience on Reddit, which has since gone viral.
According to the post, several employees in India were dismissed during a brief four-minute virtual meeting with the company’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), without any prior warning.
Recounting the incident, the employee wrote, “It was a normal workday. I logged in at 9 a.m. and saw a calendar invite for a mandatory meeting at 11 a.m. with the COO. When the call began, he disabled all cameras and microphones and announced that most of the Indian workforce was being let go.”
The COO reportedly emphasized that the layoffs were not performance-related but part of an internal restructuring exercise.
What left employees stunned was the manner in which the layoffs were handled.
The COO declined to take any questions and exited the call soon after delivering the news. Workers were told they would receive an email if they were among those terminated.
The employee added that the company promised to pay full salary for October and encash pending leaves. Still, the experience left him deeply shaken.
“This is the first time I’ve been laid off, and it just truly sucks,” he wrote.
The post quickly gained traction online, drawing an outpouring of support. Many users offered job leads and encouragement.
One comment read, “Which profile are you in? If I can help you, DM me.” Another user asked for details of the employee’s role and experience, offering assistance.
Others urged the worker not to lose hope, with one commenter writing, “Take this opportunity to reflect on what you truly want to do next. Don’t be discouraged — you’ll come out stronger. Build new connections, and your next role will come.”
The incident has reignited debate on how companies handle layoffs and the emotional toll such abrupt dismissals take on employees, particularly in remote setups where communication is already limited.