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The man said he was more shocked by his layoff because he had been promoted a few months ago and had heard only good things about his work from his colleagues.
The man said his manager asked him to enjoy his vacation after he failed to join the meeting
A 31-year-old man turned to the Internet for advice after finding what appeared to be shocking news that he no longer had a job. This all happened while he was enjoying vacation.
He discovered that he had apparently been laid off not through a call, formal email, or meeting, but through an automated reply sent from his work email account.
The man shared his ordeal on Reddit in a post titled “Laying off work while on vacation…words of advice or any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.” He explained that he sent an email from his personal account to his office email after remembering something related to an ongoing project. He just wanted to get a reminder when he resumed work after his vacation.
“There were no signs”
“I’m 31 and I’m pretty sure I just found out I’ve been laid off from work. I’m on vacation but I had an idea for something I’m/am working on, so I sent an email from my personal email to my work email so I’ll get the reminder when I get back to the office,” he said.
“I received an automated response that initially raised no concerns because I had set my OOO. Only after looking at the automated response did I see that it had been modified without my knowledge to indicate ‘This person is no longer employed by Company X’ and to contact my manager.”
Looking back, he recalled that his manager had tried to schedule a last-minute call with him earlier that week. Since he was traveling and internet access was limited, he denied this, explaining that the time difference and unreliable Wi-Fi made it difficult to join. At the time, his manager told him to “continue enjoying my vacation.”
The employee noted that the discovery came as a complete surprise, as he had recently been promoted. “Honestly, all of this came as a shock to me because I had just been promoted last January, and based on all accounts from my colleagues and executive leadership, I was doing a good job,” he said. “I even had a great lunch with my boss last week and there were no signs.”
He ended the post by saying, “I’m supposed to be back in the office and back from vacation on Tuesday next week and I’m honestly shocked and confused. I’m not sure what to do as I’m still on vacation. Any advice or words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated.”
The Internet reacts
His story quickly gained attention on the platform, with many users expressing their sympathy and criticizing the company for handling the situation this way.
“This happened to me once. Please don’t let this ruin your vacation. If anything, use this to clear your mind so you’re ready to plan your next move from a good place,” one user said.
Another user said: “It’s a despicable thing your company did. Take a deep breath and evaluate your situation. There are a lot of people in the same boat, you will get over this.”
“Wow, this company has some nerve. But you’re still supposed to get paid because they haven’t told you yet. I guess they were hoping they wouldn’t ruin your vacation. Still, what a terrible way to find out about layoffs,” one person quipped.
Another person suggested, “Maybe you can use this nudge to appear prepared for severance negotiations. (Pay, outplacement, benefits). Research the typical severance package in your industry before returning.”
Employees can protect their careers by watching for early warning signs of layoffs, because they are often not entirely surprising. These signs can include changes in teams, roles, and priorities.
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