Controversy as Gen Z secretly filmed being fired

More and more Gen Zers are secretly recording their layoffs and posting them on social media platforms like TikTok - Photo: New York Post

Many others posted publicly about their layoffs, which is taboo and breaks the immutable rules of the employer-employee agreement.

Those who posted the story said they had the right to share their story on their own social media accounts. Meanwhile, other perspectives questioned the young people's behavior as inappropriate and potentially counterproductive.

Video of firing makes "your house the brightest tonight"

Some videos have attracted millions of views, not only causing the fired person but also the employer to fall into the "your house is the brightest tonight" situation - when everyone focuses on it and starts talking and arguing.

When Gabrielle Dawson, a 28-year-old producer at CBS News in the United States, was asked to join a video call after three months working in a new city, she had no idea she was about to lose her job.

“[But] I knew that call couldn’t be anything good,” she explained. Dawson set her phone to record the meeting, mainly to record what was said.

In the video, which has since been viewed 9 million times on TikTok, Dawson's manager can be seen declaring in a monotone voice: "Unfortunately, a restructuring has impacted your role."

When Dawson asked why she was asked to do the job in the first place, the 28-year-old received no answer.

Dawson said she initially had no intention of sharing the video on social media, but decided to do so after hearing about the layoffs.

“I’m a private person and I never thought about sharing before, or just kept quiet. I think other videos gave me the courage to post my own videos,” she said. “Why can’t I share my story?” Dawson asked.

Tara Quinn-Cirillo, an associate fellow at the British Psychological Society, says employees posting about their job loss may be a way to reclaim an identity that has been disrupted by layoffs. “Sharing information can make you feel in control,” she says.

Quinn-Cirillo added that employees with large social media followings believe they are making things difficult for their former employers by exposing their firing decisions to the chaotic world of social media, where they have power.

Others may simply update their online followers about their careers, much like they would a family member.

A girl shares a video recording the scene of her being fired on TikTok - Photo: Telegraph

The trend stems from remote work

Joni Bonnemort, who lost her job at a financial services firm last April and posted a video of herself being fired on TikTok, said she is now less afraid of breaking the news.

"I think social media has evolved to the point where sharing vulnerable moments in our lives is becoming less taboo. I didn't find it too difficult to share about being fired, despite the hurt," she said.

Filming yourself getting fired is also a trend that has emerged since the advent of remote work culture. Obviously, it’s much easier to film yourself getting fired over a Zoom call than sitting in the office.

Willing to destroy anything that could backfire

Studies have shown that Generation Z is less committed to their companies and tends to switch between jobs more, which makes them more likely to tear down their previous company when they are about to leave.

With unemployment rates in the UK and US near 50-year lows, young people are not experiencing the economy- wide jobs crisis that previous generations have.

But that reality is at odds with the widespread layoffs across the tech and media industries over the past year. During the pandemic, many companies hired quickly, resulting in overstaffing and ultimately firing over a video call.

Amanda Rajkumar, former global head of human resources at Adidas, said the "QuitTok" trend (posting videos of quitting work on TikTok - PV) is like "one of the strongest examples to date of the differences between generations, between Gen Z and Gen X in the workplace".

She argues that the trend could ultimately backfire on young workers who post videos. “From my personal experience, my generation would rather get hurt than treat people who pay their wages badly,” Rajkumar said.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tranh-cai-khi-hang-loat-gen-z-len-quay-phim-canh-bi-sa-thai-20240321111106128.htm