One Week Post-Layoff
January 27, 2023 10:42pm
One week ago my life changed in the blink of an email. While getting my kids ready for school I received an automated notice from Google to my personal account notifying me that I no longer had a job, effective immediately. Corp access was already cut off. No chance to say goodbye to the people I’d worked with for almost 17 years, no thanks for my loyalty or mention of a job well done, no handover of the projects I’d worked so hard on, and no opportunity to collect any of my possessions from the office. Google threw me out like yesterday’s trash, and didn’t even bother to do it to my face.
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In that instant, my self-worth disappeared and everything I thought I could rely on came into question. To me, being a part of Google was much deeper than the title I held — it was the source of many treasured relationships, and its idealistic mission and early culture shaped who I grew to be as a person. In one fleeting moment, a huge and beloved part of my life died unexpectedly.
This past week has been extremely difficult. I honestly don’t think I’ve made it more than a couple hours without crying, and I’ve barely slept. The layoff execution has been so callous and hurtful and so traumatic, and yet . . .
The outpouring of support has been absolutely overwhelming in the best possible way. I’ve received hundreds of heartfelt messages — most from former colleagues, some of whom I haven’t worked with or seen in years. Each of these notes, professional and personal alike, has been touching to read and they have collectively given me the courage, confidence and strength I very desperately needed. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You have truly helped the sun rise from a dark night sky. 💜
