"I'm Getting Fired from Work Right Now"… Explosion of Views as the Moment of Shock Is Revealed

Tech Companies' Harsh Layoffs Shared with Scenes
Job Offers Received Through Shared Videos

Workers in the United States who have lost their jobs are sharing videos of their layoffs on social networking services (SNS) such as TikTok.

"I want to show a part of my life as it is"... Support continues as view counts soar

A video capturing the moment Britney received her termination notice shared by her.
[Image source=TikTok capture]

On the 30th (local time), the US daily The New York Times (NYT) reported that while American tech companies continue to carry out successive restructurings into the new year, some workers who have lost their jobs are sharing videos showing themselves crying while talking with HR representatives or calmly revealing their remaining work, knowing they will soon be laid off. Those who have been laid off are sharing these videos to share their pain and are even using them as opportunities to find new jobs.

Paula Shade (30), a marketing expert, was recently laid off from a big tech company in Los Angeles (LA). The layoff video she posted this month surpassed hundreds of thousands of views on TikTok within a few hours and received thousands of comments. Paula Shade explained, "One of my New Year's resolutions was to be more honest and open about the painful parts of my life," adding, "That includes showing parts of my life as they are, even if they are not glamorous or pretty."

A video capturing the moment Britney received her termination notice shared by her.
[Image source=TikTok capture]

Johnny (38), who was laid off last April while working at a company in Utah, initially filmed the layoff scene only to show it to his family, but after learning that the company that laid him off gave additional bonuses to remaining employees, he shared this on TikTok. His video also recorded 1.4 million views and received many supportive comments. He said, "I wasn't trying to expose anything serious, but this is my experience anyway," adding, "This is something that has happened to many people besides me."

A trend created by the MZ generation who share even the small details of daily life on SNS... "It also opens new opportunities"

'Dismissal videos' posted on TikTok.
[Image source=TikTok capture]

Foreign media pointed out that the background of this trend lies in the MZ generation's familiarity with sharing even the small details of daily life on SNS, including failures and negative experiences. They not only post layoff videos but also openly share job-seeking posts on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), and other platforms, sharing private matters that people used to want to hide without shame. Some say that sharing layoff experiences helps overcome the wounds gained in the process. Sandra Sussar, a Harvard economist who studies layoffs, added, "The boundary between private life and professional domains has collapsed."

These layoff videos showing honest appearances also open up opportunities to find new jobs. Simon Miller, who worked as a project manager at a company in Utah, said he received about 30 job offers after posting a video of himself working on the day he was laid off. Brittany Piechi, who shared her layoff video from the tech security company Cloudflare, said she received about 10,000 LinkedIn messages, including job offers.

However, companies are expected to need to be more cautious. Experts pointed out that companies should now keep in mind that the entire layoff process can be made public. Matthew Prince, CEO of Cloudflare, posted on his X account after Brittany’s layoff video went viral, explaining that the layoff was unavoidable but also apologizing that his company "should have been kinder and more humane" during the process.