- Indian software professional laid off unexpectedly during a late-night HR call from US firm
- Layoff was part of restructuring and not related to employee's performance or abilities
- He was the only Indian on his engineering team and no prior warning was given
An Indian software professional working remotely for a US-based company has shared his experience of being unexpectedly laid off, saying he received the news during a late-night call with HR.According to a post shared on Reddit, the employee said his workday had been completely routine until around 9 pm, when he received a call from the company's HR team. Expecting a routine conversation, he joined the call only to learn that his role was being eliminated as part of an internal organisational restructuring.
The employee said HR made it clear that the decision was not related to his performance. He also pointed out that he was the only Indian employee on his engineering team.
"I was also told it wasn't performance related. I was the only person from India on the engineering team, so there wasn't anyone else from my team being laid off. It was just me. The whole conversation probably lasted only a few minutes, but it completely threw me off. No prior intimation, no time to prepare, nothing that made me think this was coming. I've never been laid off before, and honestly, it just f***ing sucks," he wrote.
While he acknowledged that layoffs are common in the technology industry and do not necessarily reflect an employee's abilities or performance, he said knowing that did little to make the situation easier.
See the post here:
Laid Off
by u/LightOfLife227 in gurgaon
The sudden job loss has now pushed him into an unexpected job search. He said he is updating his resume, applying for new positions and preparing for interviews while hoping to find another suitable opportunity.
"Right now I'm just trying to figure out what comes next, updating my resume, applying, preparing for interviews and hoping I land somewhere good. If you've been through a layoff before, I'd genuinely appreciate hearing how you dealt with it," he added.
Reacting to his post, one user wrote, "I was laid off last year in a similar fashion. Spent the next hour just stunned and staying at my laptop screen. It happens."
Another said, "For the last month, I have also been unemployed, but I resigned from my role while you were laid off that's the difference. I really understand your situation right now. I believe you will get a new and better opportunity soon. More power to you, and best of luck."
A third user added, "Hi buddy, layoffs are becoming very common. Don't be pressured, you're not a cooker. Treat it like a breakup maybe, next opportunity. If new company asks the reason just say the contract completed (if you can say it) or maybe something else. All the best till then."
