"Get laid off with me" videos trending on TikTok
Across TikTok, people are recording their experience of being let go from their jobs. Why are they doing this, and is it a good idea?
You’ve seen “get ready with me videos,” now we’re in an era of “get laid off with me” videos. But are these videos a good idea?
Across social media platforms, especially TikTok, people are recording their experience of being let go from their jobs. What’s happening? Let’s unpack it.
Brittany Pietsch worked at IT company Cloudflare. After hearing about other coworkers being laid off, Pietsch set up her camera to record herself during a brief meeting with two people she had never met before.
Pietsch asked why her manager wasn’t there, and how was she not meeting expectations when she had been told she was going above and beyond?
She posted the whole thing to TikTok, where it has over 2 million views.
Hallie Steiner, who worked for The Messenger, posted this video to the news organization's TikTok channel after the whole company found out they were losing their jobs:
“Today we found out our company is shutting down and leaving us with no severance and no health insurance, and we had to learn about it from the New York Times instead of from our own leadership,” Steiner said.
Why are people posting these videos? For one, it makes good content. People like to watch drama unfold. And many of these workers are looking for support and fed up with the way layoffs are being handled. Also, the videos show a shift toward more transparency and solidarity in the workplace.
But experts say to post these videos with caution. They could be a red flag for future employers that may be hesitant to hire someone they know could expose the company's inner workings publicly.
What do you think of this trend? Would you post a video of yourself losing your job?