Software engineer at Google laid off after he went on leave for mother’s death; story goes viral

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The recent mass layoffs by Google have left thousands of employees in distress and in a worrisome state regarding their future amid fears of a global recession. Joining the band of other major IT firms, Google recently laid off 12,000 employees which constitute around 6% of its workforce. Following this development, stories of several affected employees have also started making rounds on the internet, leaving people upset and disappointed. One such story is of a Google software engineer named Tommy York who was also among the 12,000 employees who were fired. In his heartbreaking story shared on LinkedIn, York revealed how he was suddenly laid off from his job after he came back from his leave following his mother’s death.

“I was laid off from Google last week. I found out on my fourth day back from bereavement leave for my Mom, who died from cancer in December,” he wrote at the beginning of his post.

Further giving a detailed account of the entire scenario, York shared how the decision left him “tired and disappointed.” As he spoke about mental health and culture at workplaces, York said that it felt like a “slap in the face” and “being hit when you’re down.”

Noting that he joined Google in December 2021, he also shared how his mother was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in February 2022 which became challenging and difficult for him, especially “the last few months of her life.”

“There will always be more opportunities to work at exciting companies, but a parent dies only once. I’m grateful that I spent the time and energy I did with my Mom, and not overworking for a company that might decide on one cold Friday morning that my badge doesn’t work anymore,” he further wrote.

“Culture takes years to build, and can break quickly and easily. The best antidote to woe is probably gratitude, and I have plenty to be grateful for…” he said, adding that he’ll use the time off for himself and will someday tell his ‘self-deprecating’ story to others.

Check his post:

As soon as his story went online, it caught the attention of many who were moved by the man’s difficult situation. Users also took to the comment section and extended their support to York.

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