Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic An unexpected online meeting appeared in Heather Haynes’ calendar last April, raising suspicions that she was at risk of redundancy. In response, she propped up her phone and pressed record, capturing the moment she was laid off in a video that would attract 10mn views.“The lack of growth and the decline in our client revenue has negatively impacted our business beyond what we can sustain,” she was told. “It’s forced us to make what are very difficult decisions to eliminate roles within the agency, [including] your role.”In response, Haynes raised her hands to her mouth in shock. She realised the nature of the meeting and cried while being told the news. Afterwards, she grabbed her phone and stopped filming.I felt lonely, and watching layoff videos helped me feel normal and that this is just part and parcel of being in the corporate worldVideos like this are now becoming commonplace on social media, as more workers post their experiences and often record calls about their jobs being terminated. More than 32,000 posts on TikTok now carry the hashtag “layoffs”. And the trend of publicising layoffs, particularly among younger workers, has created new challenges for companies managing their public image.“The rise of posting layoffs on social media is part of a broader workplace shift driven by younger generations, particularly Gen Z,” says Katherine Loranger, chief people officer at Safeguard Global, an HR software company. “They’re not afraid to air frustrations publicly, with ‘loud quitting’ on platforms like TikTok becoming a viral trend. These employees use social media to call out their views of toxic workplaces, poor management, or unfair treatment, forcing companies to face the spotlight,” she notes.Kelly Lim, a tech sales worker from Singapore, regularly films ‘A day in the life’ videos for TikTok and recorded a meeting where she was laid off, which has amassed more than 10,000 likes. She says she decided to post it to inform her followers and demonstrate “how volatile working in tech is”.“I definitely expected to make a splash, as most layoff videos on TikTok perform well,” she adds. “I felt lonely, and watching layoff videos helped me feel normal and that this is just part and parcel of being in the corporate world.”Lim decided not to name her employer to avoid contract violations, but others have been bolder, including the voice and names of those in the meeting and the company. “In the social media age, when everyone carries a camera in their pocket, employers need to be alive to the fact that any meeting, including those many would consider sensitive, may be recorded . . . [and] covert recordings are an increasingly common feature of the employment landscape,” says Lucy Gordon, a partner at Walker Morris, a law firm.Under UK law, employees should be consulted before being made redundant to ensure a fair dismissal. In the US, there are fewer regulations, which vary according to state and company size.“Once an employee is under notice, or their employment terminated, it is difficult to take action against them for breach of confidence or breach of contract where recorded meetings are shared publicly,” says Audrey Williams, employment lawyer and partner at Keystone Law, but she adds that there may be data protection or privacy rights that could be relied upon instead.Deloitte, which has laid off hundreds of staff this year, has been mentioned in multiple videos while, last year, mass cuts across the tech sector saw workers at Google and Meta also film their perspectives.Cierra Desmaratti amassed more than 71,000 views when she posted her story of being laid off by Deloitte. She described it as an “intimidating environment” where she felt out of place and expected to “work overtime”.“I was not fitting in with the culture, and I felt like I was not authentic to myself, and I wasn’t able to be my authentic self to everyone,” she said in the video, holding a wine glass filled with water.“Of course, nobody wants to get that surprise [layoff] email, [but] I have never felt so much peace,” she added.Desmaratti tells the FT she felt vulnerable making the video, and it was “like having a target on your back”, but has not faced retaliation from the company. She posted the video to empower others, she says, as she regretted not speaking up at the consultancy firm.“Things are changing. Faces like mine are out there boldly; we are not just numbers you brought in that you can discard. We are real people. And so 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 may provide short-term validation, it can harm future career prospects. Employers may view the act of publicly sharing such experiences as a red flag, questioning whether the individual would disclose sensitive or internal information in the future. “I’ve been working for tech companies for nearly two decades and, at least in the tech industry, being associated with a viral layoff story could make some companies hesitant to hire them, even if they are otherwise highly qualified,” Buj warns.
