You can be on Entrepreneur’s cover!

Ex-Google Employee Documents the Day She Was Let Go Amid Mass Layoffs: 'A Really Bad Game of Russian Roulette' The TikTok video showed a candid view into what nearly 12,000 Google employees experienced last Friday.

By Emily Rella

entrepreneur daily

There's a whole category of influencers making a name for themselves using the "Day in My Life" format on TikTok. In these videos, employees take viewers on a journey through their entire day, from morning to night. Tech employees using this format to showcase their lavish lifestyles have become especially popular on the platform.

One such TikToker is a former California-based Google employee named Nicole, who would often take her followers through a day working at the tech giant.

@nicolesdailyvlog Episode 4 | A Day in my life working from Google LA #dayinthelifevlog #dayinmylife #dayinthelife #dailyroutine #workroutine #techgirlie #techgirl ♬ kill bill by sza - lyrics e traduções.

Her most recent video, however, has gone viral for its brutal honesty and comedic spin on what can be a traumatic occurrence — the day she was laid off from the company.

Related: Google CEO Sundar Pichai Addresses Layoffs in Town Hall Meeting

The clip, which has now been viewed over 4.5 million times, begins with the TikToker receiving an "ominous" text from her boss telling her to check her email and the news, which shows an article explaining that the company was initiating its biggest round of layoffs in its history.

Nicole then says that she was promptly disconnected and locked out of her internal Google systems before calling her boss back and having a good old-fashioned crying session — she claims they both were being let go at the same time.

@nicolesdailyvlog The Google layoffs were not how I expected to start off 2023, but I know it's only up from here #techlayoffs #googlelayoffs #techgirl #corporatelife #techvlog #dayinmylife #techlayoffs2023 ♬ Flowers - Miley Cyrus

"I think the worst part is it seems like no one was consulted on this decision, and everyone was just finding out about the layoffs at the same time," Nicole told viewers, explaining that she and other former colleagues all began to talk to one another to find out who had been axed. "It just felt like a really bad game of Russian Roulette, and there was no consistency around who was let go. It was also not performance-based, so it just felt really random."

After scrolling LinkedIn to see more news of employees being let go, Nicole treated herself to a trip to Disneyland where she could "eat [her] feelings" and get her mind off the news.

Related: Google Laid Off Employee Who Is 8 Months Pregnant

Viewers in the comment section were furious on behalf of the laid-off worker, asking if it was even legal and offering their condolences.

"Sorry to hear that," one viewer offered. "They clearly don't value employees if they don't even consult prior to lay-offs."

"I still can't believe it all happened how it did," another said. "For a company that preaches employee culture, I'm shocked!"

Nicole was one of about 12,000 employees that were let go last Friday during a mass round of layoffs at Google.

"The fact that these changes will impact the lives of Googlers weighs heavily on me, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us here," Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in a memo to employees last Friday morning. "While this transition won't be easy, we're going to support employees as they look for their next opportunity."

Google's parent company, Alphabet, is expected to announce Q4 2022 earnings on February 2.

Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

This Fan-Favorite Masters 2024 Item Is Still $1.50 as Tournament Menu Appears Unscathed by Inflation

The pimento cheese sandwich is a tradition almost as big as the tournament itself.

Business Solutions

Scan Easier and More Affordably with This 20% Discount

iScanner is a mobile app that makes document management, editing, and sharing easier.

Business News

I Designed My Dream Home For Free With an AI Architect — Here's How It Works

The AI architect, Vitruvius, created three designs in minutes, complete with floor plans and pictures of the inside and outside of the house.

Side Hustle

This Dad Started a Side Hustle to Save for His Daughter's College Fund — Then It Earned $1 Million and Caught Apple's Attention

In 2015, Greg Kerr, now owner of Alchemy Merch, was working as musician when he noticed a lucrative opportunity.

Business News

Adobe's Firefly Image Generator Was Partially Trained on AI Images From Midjourney, Other Rivals

Adobe gave bonus payments to people who contributed to the Adobe Stock database to train its AI, even those who submitted AI-generated images.

Making a Change

Learn to Play Guitar Even if You Have No Previous Training for Just $20

Start with the beginner's crash course and learn how to play guitar in no time.