Navigating the Challenge of an Unexpected Layoff: A Personal Account

Facing an unexpected layoff can be an incredibly disorienting experience, and for those who find themselves in this situation, it often feels like a whirlwind of emotions. I recently went through this myself after only three months at a new company. The news came as a complete shock — there were no indications or evaluations leading up to it. Just a terse conversation saying, “We’ve made our decision,” and that was the end of it.

From the very beginning, it felt as though I was thrown into an overwhelming sea of responsibilities with little support or training. I dove headfirst into client files by my second day, operating without a formal onboarding program. Yet, despite the abrupt start, I maintained professionalism. I participated in every meeting, met all deadlines, and managed to keep pace with my colleagues, who remarked that I was handling as much work as they were.

After the busy tax season, however, communication faltered dramatically. The support and guidance I had initially received vanished, leaving me in a fog of uncertainty. When I finally learned that I was not meeting expectations, I was genuinely surprised — there had been no feedback or warning. The prevalent response from management was “We’re not mind readers,” which I found ironic, as I wondered how I could meet expectations without clear communication from them.

During the conversation where I was let go, I felt belittled. Questions such as “Have you ever prepared a return before?” and “Do you know what our firm does?” came across as dismissive, especially given my four years of experience in the tax field, where I consistently received positive reviews and achieved performance metrics.

A particular statement from one of the partners struck me deeply: “We’re losing money on you.” While I understand that a business must consider its bottom line, reducing a person to mere numbers is disheartening and feels deeply personal.

To add to the confusion, I was promised two weeks of severance but have yet to receive any formal documentation. There was no COBRA information provided, and my attempts to reach out regarding available work were criticized, even though I had received encouragement from another partner to communicate my job search.

This experience has left me feeling humiliated and disheartened. I never expected to be treated this way in a professional environment. I believe I was not afforded the chance for growth or improvement due to the lack of constructive feedback. It honestly felt as though the