Getting Fired On TikTok Is The New Trend For Gen Zers
Did you know that that getting fired on TikTok is the latest trend among Gen Zers?
There are very few things in life that are as rough as getting fired. Sometimes you see it coming, sometimes you do not. Once it happens, a variety of emotions can overwhelm you. If it was a job you loved, you could feel anger, or sadness. If you didn’t have the savings you need, you could experience fear. On the other hand, if it was a job you didn’t like you could experience relief. Getting fired could be the kick in the butt you needed to find a better job suited for you! One may even experience the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and finally acceptance.
One Gen Zer named Brittany Pietsch, 27, told the Wall Street Journal she has no regrets about posting the video and has been flooded with responses congratulating her on sticking up for herself.
Pietsch feels she was unfairly terminated after getting praise from management. Her recorded termination post has gotten millions of views on TIKTOK.
Gen Z TikTok Terminations: Smart Revenge or Stupid?
In the post Covid, work at home world we live in, the days of getting called into the bosses office has changed. Now, with Zoom, workers are getting a digital pink slip. Especially with large corporate downsizing these days, many, sadly are losing their job via a Zoom call. Hopefully, you get a heads-up from your supervisor. Then, you get the Zoom invite from HR, followed by a transition tutorial. You really don’t know what hit you, because it’s so structured. But it happens more than you know.
So it maybe no surprise to hear that the first fully digital native generation known as Gen Z, or Gen Zers, are fighting back in a way no one has ever seen.
According to CBS, getting fired on TikTok is the latest trend among Gen Zers:
“What’s important is that many of the young people we see that post this on TikTok — remember, they’ve grown up on TikTok. They shared their setbacks, they’ve shared their breakthroughs — it could be a break-up with somebody, it could be getting into college.”
“For many of them, [it’s] the very first time they’ve ever been laid off. So of course they want everybody to know and then wait for the feedback to tell them whether or not it was the right decision.”
It seems that TikTok has become a shoulder to lean on during a rough time for the Gen Z group. Add to that, to them, it’s easier to share vulnerability on text or technology rather than face to face.
Getting Fired On TikTok-Potential consequences
While the in-the-moment decision could make one feel that “this is the video that will go viral and make me rich” the chances are, it won’t. While it may feel good to get the initial “you’ll be ok” feedback from friends and followers, recording a company meeting and then posting it may break your personal services contract, or your company at-will contract. If one breaches the contract or violates company policy, your last day of work may end even worse. You may lose any transition benefits, like severance, or Cobra rights.
Even if you get away with it initially, and your social media influencer money doesn’t show up, you’ll need a new job. Potential employers may view your video and feel that you may not be a fit. They may never see your true greatness, as a result from your revenge, or public need for short term comfort.
Getting fired sucks. But as Napoleon Hill wrote:
Every adversity, every failure, every heartache carries with it the seed of an equal or greater benefit.
Just so you know, that famous and powerful quote was written way before TikTok.