‘I got laid off 2 months after getting a significant raise’: Worker blindsided by layoff says good feedback ‘means nothing’
A user's clip on TikTok has sparked discussion about workplace culture after sharing a video in which he claims that he was laid off after receiving good feedback.
According to TikTok user Mike Peditto (@realisticrecruiting), he was laid off after receiving a “significant raise,” which his employer said was, in part, to help convince him to stay with the company.
“I had literally hit every goal given to me, succeeded on levels unexpected in the role,” he recalls.
The video currently has over 302,000 views as of Saturday.
@realisticrecruiting If you were laid off you probably never could have stopped it so dont take the blame for yourself. And always remember to prioritize you and your people first #jobsearchtips #jobsearching #careertiktok #careertok #careeradvice #layoffs #jobinterviewtips ♬ original sound - Mike Peditto | Job Search Talk
Peditto says the message of his being let go was clear.
“One, your layoff has very little to do with you,” he explains. “And two, the things that people say about you at work about how good you’re doing mean nothing.”
He follows the statement up by noting that they do not actually mean “nothing” in certain circumstances—rather, he wants to reiterate to workers that jobs do not have “long-term promise.” He closes by encouraging viewers to not feel guilty about prioritizing themselves first.
In an email to the Daily Dot, he elaborated on the latter point.
"In the past year especially we have seen ruthlessly about the business layoffs can be. Companies have let amazing and successful employees go—especially in certain fields," he wrote. "These decisions—for the most part—are business decisions and not personal decisions, and depending on the size of the company, they could be being made by people who don’t even personally know the people affected...It’s a reminder that no matter what anyone says, the business is the most important part of a company at the end of the day."
That said, Peditto noted that there are a few ways employees can prepare for these situations.
"Always be ready to be on the market even if you don’t plan to be. One thing I’ve heard people do is set a reminder every month to write down everything you accomplished so you always have that info to add to a resume," he detailed. "Always keep building relationships outside of work, growing your skill set in any way you can, and have an eye on the job market, in general, to know how it is and what people in your field are doing."
In the comments section of his video, users shared their thoughts on this workplace practice.
“When you join a company you’re ‘family’ but when they let you go it’s ‘business,’” a user wrote.
“This is why I switched my mindset to: I’m a free agent,” another detailed. “I trade my time/skills/talent for a fee. I go with the highest fee.”
“I was laid off after expressing concern and being reassured that I had stability/was doing amazing,” recalled a third. “My boss logged onto the call crying and I knew it.”
“I remember once being told I was a ‘key player’ at work and things were secure,” remembered an additional TikToker. “Not so much 2 weeks later.”
Peditto closed his email by hoping that viewers did not only focus on the negative parts of the video.
"I don’t want a video like this to make it sound like people shouldn’t try at work or like I harbor resentment. But I did learn a lot of lessons as someone who [had] never been laid off," he shared. "I also can not stress enough that it’s OK to have feelings. Being positive is great, but toxic positivity hurts people who are going through things too. It’s ok to say something is hard or that you’re down. Feel and process those feelings, don’t be shamed out of them."
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