Mumbai, June 29: A Reddit user posted on the platform that he pretended to be employed for months after being laid off and succesfully landed another higher paying job. He explained how he was laid off five months ago, and since then, he has tried to show he was still working. Reddit user explained how doing this landed him a better job. The viral Reddit post explored what happened, why he was laid off and how he was called up by a recruiter looking at his fake posts for a better job opportunity. 

The post made by Reddit user called "VelvetViiibes" got over 26,000 upvotes and around 1,700 comments, making it a viral on the internet. The users who engaged with this post had a mixed reaction about the strategy adopted by the user. Some were in supports, some in doubt, while others asked questions about how it worked well for him. Salesforce Layoffs Coming? CEO Marc Benioff Says 50% of Work Now Done by AI, Highlights Major Shift Toward Automation at Workplace and Hints at Possible Job Cuts in Future.

Laid Off Employee Pretended To Be Employed for Months and Got a Better Job

According to a Reddit post titled - "I got laid off and pretended I was still employed for months ended up getting a better job because of it" by 'VelvetViiibes' user, he lost his job back in August. He said, "No warning, no severance," and the company had laid him off due to restructuring. He said he was informed about this decision via a Zoom call that lasted about 3 minutes. The Reddit user who was laid off said, "I panicked".

He said he did not want his family, friends, or ex-coworkers to know he was laid off, so he kept pretending that he was still working. Every day, he would "Log in" and pretend to be working and tell people he had meetings. The Reddit user said, "I applied to jobs nonstop in the background". He said he posted on LinkedIn about "exciting projects at work" to keep the illusions going.

Looking at his fake posts, a recruiter reached out to him and asked if he was open to opportunities. The user replied yes. He said he lied his teeth about the "current job". He said he was crushed in the interview and "Got an offer higher salary, better title, remote, actual work-life balance". US Layoffs Surge in 2025: Over 7 Lakh Jobs Lost in United States From Various Companies, Federal Layoffs Affect 1.7 Lakh Employees.

Netizens Reacting to Laid off Reddit Users' Post

Users who engaged with the Reddit post had mixed reactions. One said, "Great strategy. BAM! Congrats." Others asked what he did about the experience certificate and the previous month's salary slips. Another user said, "Are you me? I've never told anyone this story, ever," and shared how he was laid off. Another user said, "Probably still unemployed and lying in this post".

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 29, 2025 05:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).