An unexpected online meeting appeared on Heather Haynes’ calendar last April, raising suspicions that she was at risk of being fired. In response, she picked up her phone and pressed record, capturing the moment she was fired in a video that would attract 10 million views.
“The lack of growth and declining revenue from our customers has negatively impacted our business beyond what we can sustain,” they told him. “It has forced us to make very difficult decisions to eliminate roles within the agency, [including] your role.”
In response, Haynes put his hands over his mouth in shock. She realized the nature of the meeting and cried as she was told the news. Then, he grabbed his phone and stopped filming.
Videos like this are becoming common on social media, as more workers post their experiences and often record calls about being fired from their jobs. More than 32,000 posts on TikTok now carry the hashtag “layoffs.” And the trend of publicizing layoffs, especially among younger workers, has created new challenges for companies managing their public image.
“The rise in layoff posting on social media is part of a broader shift in the workplace driven by younger generations, particularly Generation Z,” says Katherine Loranger, chief people officer at Safeguard Global, a company of human resources software.
“They’re not afraid to publicly express their frustrations, and ‘loud abandonment’ on platforms like TikTok is becoming a viral trend. These employees use social media to express their opinions about toxic workplaces, poor management or unfair treatment, forcing companies into the spotlight,” he notes.
Kelly Lim, a technology sales worker from Singapore, regularly records ‘A Day in the Life’ videos for TikTok and recorded a meeting in which she was fired, which has racked up more than 10,000 likes. He says he decided to post it to inform his followers and demonstrate “how volatile it is to work in technology.”
“I was definitely hoping to make a splash, since most layoff videos on TikTok do well,” he adds. “I felt alone and watching videos of layoffs helped me feel normal and that this is an integral part of being in the corporate world.”
Lim decided not to name his employer to avoid contract violations, but others have been bolder, including the voices and names of those who were at the meeting and the company.
“In the age of social media, when everyone carries a camera in their pocket, employers need to be aware of the fact that any meeting, including those that many would consider sensitive, can be recorded. . . [and] Covert recordings are an increasingly common feature of the employment landscape,” says Lucy Gordon, partner at law firm Walker Morris.
Under UK law, employees must be consulted before being dismissed to ensure a fair dismissal. In the United States there are fewer regulations, which vary by state and company size.
“Once an employee receives notice or their employment is terminated, it is difficult to take action against them for breach of trust or breach of contract when recorded meetings are shared publicly,” says Audrey Williams, employment attorney and partner at Keystone Law, but adds that there may be privacy or data protection rights that could be relied upon.
Deloitte, which has laid off hundreds of employees this yearhas been mentioned in multiple videos while, last year, massive cuts in the tech sector caused Google and Meta workers to also film their perspectives.
Cierra Desmaratti racked up more than 71,000 views when she posted her story of being fired by Deloitte. He described it as an “intimidating environment” in which he felt out of place and was expected to “work overtime.”
“I didn’t fit into the culture and I felt like I wasn’t authentic to myself and I couldn’t be myself to everyone,” she said in the video, holding a wine glass filled with water.
“Of course, no one wants to be surprised. [layoff] email, [but] “I have never felt so much peace,” he added.
Desmaratti tells the Financial Times that he felt vulnerable making the video and that it was “like having a target on your back,” but he has faced no retaliation from the company. He posted the video to empower others, he says, as he regrets not speaking at the consulting firm.
“Things are changing. Faces like mine appear bravely; We are not just numbers that you brought and that you can discard. We are real people. And now this is going to put more pressure on companies.”
Deloitte says it does not discuss individuals’ employment details “out of respect for privacy obligations.”
However, Margaret Buj, a recruiter and career coach, says that “while recording a layoff can provide short-term validation, it can hurt future career prospects. Employers may view the act of publicly sharing such experiences as a red flag, questioning whether the individual would reveal confidential or internal information in the future.
“I’ve worked for tech companies for almost two decades and, at least in the tech industry, being associated with a viral layoff story might make some companies hesitant to hire them, even if they are otherwise highly qualified,” he warns. Buj.