A Bengaluru-based CEO has reflected on the brutality of being laid off, citing the example of a friend who is worrying about how to manage EMIs and childcare costs after being terminated from his job. Debjit Sen, founder and CEO of Engrow, shared an X post on layoffs and how they affect salaried professionals.
“Layoffs are so brutal,” Sen said in his X post — which came shortly after tech company Oracle announced a new wave of layoffs.
(Also read: ‘Worked till 3 am’: Man loses 12-year Oracle job, wife pens heartbreaking note)
On the brutality of layoffs
In the widely-viewed post, Debjit Sen elaborated on how getting laid off is about more than just losing a job. It can throw a person’s life out of gear.
He cited the example of a friend who was laid off shortly after buying a new house. The said friend already has a child, and he and his wife are now expecting a second child.
Because of the layoff, his friend is now worried about how he will manage the EMIs of the new house, along with the expenses of raising two children.
{{/usCountry}}Because of the layoff, his friend is now worried about how he will manage the EMIs of the new house, along with the expenses of raising two children.
{{/usCountry}}“One of my old friends was laid off recently. He has just bought a new house, and he and his wife are expecting their second child. Now he doesn’t know how he is going to manage the EMIs and everything else,” Sen wrote.
More than losing a job
The Bengaluru-based CEO of Engrow then reflected on how getting laid off can disrupt a person’s entire life.
“This is what layoffs do to people. It’s not just about losing a job. It can completely disrupt someone’s life,” he wrote. “You can spend years building a career, and suddenly, one email can put your entire life into uncertainty.”
The post attracted several reactions and comments.
One person in the comments section revealed how they had begun saving aggressively, writing: “Being in Oracle for so many years, I have learnt a few lessons - no house buying, buy the smallest car if you need, no kids at all, no vacations and all, no buying luxurious stuff (e.g., just a basic phone that's let's you call, and use zepto and uber - that's all).”
(Also read: Laid-off Bengaluru man shares 'hard lesson' after taking 2-year-old son to office to return laptop)
Sen agreed with this way of living, adding that he regretted spending money on unnecessary things. “For the last couple since I quit my job and started my own, I started following this exactly what you shared. And now somehow I regret my old days where I had spent on stuff which were not needed,” the founder and CEO of Engrow replied.
Several others agreed that they had put off buying a house. “Advice to those currently employed. Don’t buy a home for next 5-6 years until everything settles down. Nothing beats peace of mind,” a user said.