Workers fired after signing 12-month lease to return to office

Tech layoffs dominate the news cycle.

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced it would lay off 10,000 employees. Soon after, Google’s parent company Alphabet announced that it too would be significantly reducing its workforce, with 12,000 employees getting the axe. These layoffs come in addition to Amazon cutting its workforce by 18,000 employees and Meta laying off 11,000 employees.

These sudden layoffs have put many now-ex-employees in an awkward position, as TikTok user Deran (@deranchristian) detailed in a recent video.

In a video with over 122,000 views on Saturday, Deran says he was asked to return to the office at his “amazing tech job” on a 12-month lease. Soon after, he claims he was fired.

“So who’s hiring?” he asks in the caption.

@deranchristian so who is hiring?? #layoffs #techlayoffs #fired #layoff #unemployment #losangeles ♬ Original sound – Janx_Littlefoot

In the comments section, users shared their own layoff stories.

“Mine dismissed everyone through a Slack message and then told us to unsubscribe and wait for an email,” claimed one user.

“I signed a new apartment lease on Saturday and was then fired on Tuesday, open to suggestions,” claimed a second.

“No, as I heard about the layoffs on the news prior to the internal announcement,” recalled a third.

Some users claimed that the possibility of suddenly losing their jobs is one of the reasons they insist on not returning to the office.

“This is exactly why I quit my job instead of going back,” said one user.

While many commenters shared their tips for finding a job in the current market and potential opportunities for Deran, the conversation soon focused on the companies that were conducting the layoffs in general.

“Jobs out here really play with people’s lives and there’s next to no help when that happens,” shared one user.

“As someone who has considered the transition to technology, I will stay right where I am. The layoffs are scary,” added another.

We contacted Deran via email.

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