'15 Days After My Wedding I Was Laid Off': Techie Shares 12 Signs Before Company Gives Pink Slip Post Goes Viral

(MENAFN- Live Mint) US-based technology firm Qualcomm's former employee Roshni Chellani shared how she was laid off from the company 15 days after her wedding. Looking back at the layoff, she recalled how there were always signs of the employer potentially firing her ahead of the job cut.

“15 days after my wedding I was laid off from Qualcomm. Looking back, the signs were always there,” said Roshni Chellani in her viral post on LinkedIn.

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Roshni Chellani, who was the Senior RF Validation Engineer at Qualcomm, was laid off from the company in July 2023. LinkedIn data shows that she has worked in the company for more than 6 years.

Here are the signs to look out for

1. You are overworked: Chellani said that employees will realise that they are going to be laid off if they are handed out more work to end their 'dependency' before they leave the company.

2. Timing makes you vulnerable: Roshni Chellani also emphasised that in her case, the timing made her vulnerable as she had to manage a new house, a new baby and a new loan.

“I had just gotten married. New house, new baby, new loan? That's when companies love 'restructuring',” she said.

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3. Gossip knows before HR: Chellani shared how a colleague told her that she would be laid off the next day. Even though she did not believe the colleague, the next day it was proven right.

“On Tuesday, a colleague told me I'd be laid off on Wednesday. I didn't believe her. Wednesday proved her right,” she said.

4. Meetings get strange: She highlighted that employees can realise that they are going to be laid off if 'things are ambiguous and vague' in the company meeting.

“Kafi sari cheezon ko tumse chupa rahe hai. Things are ambiguous, vague. You're invited, then told“not required.” Sometimes you show up and they ask you to leave,” she said.

5. Visa and benefits get vague: Chellani highlighted that when you are about to be potentially fired, sponsorships become complicated, and the benefits which are provided to you will be under review.

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6. 'Boss ka behaviour badal jaata hai': The attitude of the boss will also be an indicator of whether you will be fired or not, where aspects like lesser eye contact, shorter responses, and defensive tone show that the boss 'feels threatened' and you are next to be laid off from the company.

7. Overlapping responsibilities: When two people are doing the same task, it's best to assume that one person is going to be fired soon.

8. Women feel it faster: In the case of women, companies allegedly use marriage or maternity leave to 'quietly sideline' the employee from their job roles.

9. Industry signals: In case the competitors are laying off employees, then there is a possibility that your company will also not be far behind in carrying out layoffs.

10. Financials tell the story: The accurate representation of a company's financials is hidden in its revenues and costs. In case the revenues are down and the costs are up, there is a chance that the company will carry out a layoff.

“Revenue down. Costs up. It's all there if you're willing to read it,” said Chellani in her post.

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11. Culture shift: Chellani also highlighted that if a company undergoes a culture shift, then there is a chance that the people working there can get laid off.

“People-first slides become profit-first reality,” said Chellani in her post.

12. Random HR invites: Roshni Chellani also said that if you frequently get invited to an HR meeting without prior notice, then that may serve as a sign that you can potentially be laid off.

“No agenda. Just a calendar slot. You know what that means,” said Roshni Chellani.

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Chellani recommended that employees should be loyal to their work ethic rather than being loyal to their respective companies. She said that losing her job was not the hardest part for her, but the confusion before and after the layoff.

“The hardest part was not losing the job. But the confusion before and after it. Also, It was realising six years of loyalty meant nothing when the company no longer needs you,” said Chellani in her post.

Roshni Chellani said that even though companies let people go, their individual standards and skills are the only loyalty which pays back.

“Companies let you go. Your standards and skill stay with you. That's the only loyalty that pays back,” said Chellani.

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People on social media appreciated Chellani for sharing the important pointers in her post on LinkedIn.

“That's a powerful share-thank you for being real about it. These signs are subtle but so important for professionals to recognise early,” said Shruti S, responding to Chellani's post.

Jonah Wu highlighted that the loyalty to an individual work ethic is more than any corporate loyalty.“Loyalty to work ethic outlasts the fickleness of corporate loyalty,” he said.

There were a few people on social media who emphasised that layoffs are a 'way of life', which, however, is more prevalent in some nations and cultures than in others.

“Layoffs happen - it is a way of life more so in some countries and cultures than others,” said Manish Badani.

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