Last April, an unexpected online meeting appeared on Heather Haynes’ calendar, sparking suspicions that she was at risk of being fired. In response, she turned her phone up, hit the record button, and captured the moment of her dismissal on video, racking up 10 million views.
“The lack of growth and decline in customer revenue is having an unsustainable negative impact on our business,” she was told. “We have had to make the very difficult decision to eliminate roles within the Agency, including your role.”
In response, Haynes put her hands over her mouth in shock. She realized what the meeting was about and cried as she heard the news. She then picked up her phone and stopped filming.
Such videos are now common on social media as more workers post their experiences and often record calls about being fired from a job. There are currently more than 32,000 posts on TikTok with the hashtag “fired.” And the trend of making layoffs public, especially among younger workers, is creating new challenges for companies in managing their public image.
“The rise in social media layoff posts is part of broader workplace changes driven by younger generations, especially Gen Z,” says Katherine Loranger, chief human resources officer at HR software company Safeguard Global.
“They are not afraid to vent their frustrations publicly, with ‘quits on the loudmouth’ becoming a viral trend on platforms like TikTok. These employees are using social media to criticize toxic workplaces, “They are forced to shine a spotlight on companies, speaking out about poor management and unfair treatment,” she said.
Kelly Lim, a technical salesperson from Singapore, regularly shoots “A day in the life” videos for TikTok, recording the meeting in which she was fired, and has posted more than 10,000 videos. Collecting “Likes”. She said she decided to post to keep her followers informed and show them “how precarious jobs in the tech industry can be.”
“Most of the layoff videos on TikTok are doing well, so I knew it would definitely go viral,” she added. “I felt alone, but watching the layoff video made me feel normal and that this is just part of living in the corporate world.”
While Ms Lim chose not to name her employer to avoid breaching her contract, others have taken bolder stances, such as publishing the voices and names of meeting participants and companies.
“In the age of social media, where everyone has a camera in their pocket, employers need to remain cognizant of the fact that any meeting, even those deemed sensitive, may be recorded. . . .[and]covert recordings are an increasingly common feature of the employment landscape,” says Lucy Gordon, a partner at law firm Walker Morris.
Under UK law, employees must be consulted before being made redundant to ensure a fair dismissal. Regulations in the United States are sparse and vary by state and company size.
“Once an employee has been warned or their employment terminated, it is difficult to take action against them for confidentiality or breach of contract if the recorded meeting is publicly shared.” said Audrey Williams, employment lawyer and partner at Keystone Law Firm. She added that there may be data protection and privacy rights that can be relied upon instead.
Deloitte, which laid off hundreds of staff this year, was mentioned in multiple videos, and Google and Meta employees also filmed their views during mass layoffs across the technology sector last year. .
Sierra Desmaratti posted her story about being fired from Deloitte, which garnered over 71,000 views. She described the environment as an “intimidating environment” where she felt out of place and was expected to work “overtime.”
“I didn’t fit into the culture, I felt like I wasn’t my authentic self, I couldn’t be my authentic self to anyone,” she says in the video, holding a wine glass of water. he said.
“Of course, no one wants to get an email like that out of the blue, but I’ve never felt so much peace,” she added.
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Desmaratti told the FT that making the video made her feel weak and was “like having a target on my back”, but she has faced no retaliation from the company. She says she posted the video to empower others because she regrets not speaking up at her consultancy.
“Things are changing. Faces like mine are out there. We’re not just numbers you bring in and throw away. We’re real people. It will put more pressure on companies.”
Deloitte said it would not discuss individual employment details “out of respect for our privacy obligations.”
But recruiter and career coach Margaret Busi says: “While recording a layoff may provide short-term validation, it can have a negative impact on your future career prospects.” say. Employers may view the act of publicly sharing such experiences as a red flag and question whether the individual will disclose confidential or inside information in the future.
“I’ve worked in technology companies for nearly 20 years, and at least in the technology industry, when you associate it with stories of layoffs due to the virus, some companies, even if they have great talent, may be reluctant to hire new employees,” warns Buj.
