“Like getting hit when you’re down.”

New Delhi:

Being among the employees laid off by tech giant Google was “like getting hit when you’re down,” a software engineer told TODAY, getting the sack just four days after returning from leave following the death of his mother.

“I was laid off from Google last week, I found out on the fourth day after returning from bereavement leave for my mom, who died of cancer in December,” Tommy Yorke wrote on professional networking platform LinkedIn today.

He said that “in another world” he would write about how he used the permission to “take away months of anxiety, stress and grief”.

“Instead, I feel tired and disappointed. I’ve definitely heard worse stories, including expectant parents being laid off and Googlers on disability leave. But it still feels like a slap in the face, like a spanking when you’re down,” his post read.

Google announced last week that it would cut 12,000 jobs, becoming the latest tech company to cut jobs after years of growth. Some employees realized they lost their jobs when they couldn’t access the systems. CEO Sundar Pichai stressed that the cuts were made after careful consideration.

York, whose LinkedIn profile says he joined Google in 2021, claimed it was unclear how the layoffs were determined.

He sought reason in his own circumstances as his mother was diagnosed with cancer shortly after he joined: “Maybe my year has pushed me further towards a layoff. I started at Google in December 2021 My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer in February Next, when the official orientation is almost over and I’m set on projects.

However, he conveyed that he has no regrets: “There will always be more opportunities to work at exciting companies, but a parent only dies once. I’m thankful that I spent the time and energy that I had with my mom, not overworked for a company that might decide On a cold Friday morning my badge was no longer working.

He also thanked Google for its “generous severance package”, among other things.

“Life goes on,” he wrote, “and one day this will be a self-deprecating story told for entertainment and amusement, and another obstacle will be overcome.”