US Company Gives Vice-President Raise And Bonus Before Laying Him Off: 'I Feel Angry And Embarrassed'

Layoffs due to cost-cutting and restructuring have become common across various sectors, including tech and other business services. While those working as middle managers or operating remotely, exhibiting low utilisation and poor performance, remain the most vulnerable, top-rated performers are likely to be retained. However, this was different at a US company where a former vice president was laid off despite receiving a raise and a bonus.

In a Reddit post, a former Vice President of a company shared his ordeal, revealing how he faced the unexpected news of his position being eliminated as part of the company’s cost-cutting measures. The employee claims that his termination came as a shock because he was recently offered a raise and a bonus and had never received any negative feedback. The post has caught the attention of social media users who are talking about corporate companies and their strategies.

“I was let go last Wednesday. I had been working at this company for 1.5 years as a VP and not once did I receive negative feedback. During my review in March, I got a very good raise and got an additional 25% bonus,” the post read.

He further shared how the CEO and COO personally met him in their office and explained to him the situation, which they said “wasn’t personal but to cut costs.” He added that he was offered severance and COBRA for 10 days.

However, the story didn’t just end there, as the former VP later found that despite having eliminated his position, the company hired someone else with the exact same title, leaving him disheartened. Sharing that he feels angry, embarrassed and frustrated with their actions, he continued, “I never missed a single deadline; I was reliable; I did whatever was asked of me. Didn’t take all my PTO, would work weekends, and was always available at any time. I never received any negative feedback or had to be sat down to speak to. I was doing the work of 3 people and still. They couldn’t even tell me the truth to my face and said they were expecting me to pick up calls because they’re paying me severance. What a joke.”

The post sparked a discussion among social media users, with many speculating on the possible reason behind his dismissal. Others called out the company for its decision.

“Clowns. When they wanna cut costs by cutting workers. But they end up cutting the artery of the company,” a user wrote.

Another commented, “It’s normal to grieve a loss like this. And it’s normal to be pissed.”

“They may still be cutting costs by offering the same roles to new employees but with lower wages or compensation packages,” a person shared.

One noted, “Just goes to show you – take the time off, keep boundaries, and put yourself first.”

The post has received hundreds of comments and upvotes on Reddit.