Amid layoffs and tighter workplace scrutiny, employees across industries are increasingly finding themselves under pressure as HR departments revisit past conduct, attendance records, and internal policies. In some cases, these reviews have led to disciplinary action that workers believe is selective or unjust. One such case, recently shared on Reddit, details how an employee faced an attempt at dismissal without compensation after being labelled a “terrible” worker—only for the effort to fall apart when he used the company’s own tools to mount his defence.
Work-from-home issue raised after restructuring
According to the Reddit post, the situation began in late August or early September when HR flagged a few days during the year when the employee had worked from home instead of being physically present in the office. At the time those days occurred, the arrangement was known to his team and management and had not raised any objections.
However, the context shifted after a large restructuring exercise. Much of the team, including managers who had approved the flexible work setup, was retrenched. The employee said the department was later reduced to a much smaller setup, after which HR began closely examining past attendance and access records.
Disciplinary notice lists extensive internal data
Following several meetings with HR, the employee received a formal disciplinary notice. The document reportedly ran into 10 pages and included access card logs, internal emails, company policy references, canteen usage records, and written statements. The overall assessment, as described in the post, portrayed him as unreliable and untrustworthy.
Based on this material, HR concluded that the company could no longer place confidence in him and recommended immediate dismissal without compensation. The employee was given 48 hours to submit a written defence, despite the case appearing to have been prepared over several weeks.
After carefully reviewing the allegations, the employee said he realised that the case relied heavily on selective interpretations rather than clear misconduct. To respond, he decided to use the company’s own licensed AI tool, Copilot, which the organisation actively promoted internally.
Using this tool, he structured a detailed response that addressed each claim individually, referencing company policies and internal records. The defence was built entirely using resources officially provided by the employer, a move the employee described as deliberate.
Months of uncertainty before a final decision
After submitting the response, the employee said he spent several months expecting termination. During this period, he took his remaining annual leave over the winter holidays and waited for HR’s final decision.
Just before Christmas, he received an email informing him that the disciplinary case had been closed and that no action would be taken. The outcome effectively cleared him of wrongdoing and ended the attempt to terminate his employment.
In the Reddit post, the employee expressed relief at the decision and also shared that he planned to return to work professionally. He also noted that he remained open to discussing a mutual separation agreement, should the company wish to pursue that route instead.
The post has gained attention online, particularly among readers who have experienced heightened HR scrutiny during layoffs and organisational changes. Many commenters viewed the case as an example of how detailed documentation, policy knowledge, and internal tools can help employees challenge aggressive disciplinary action.
In his post, the employee added a light note about what comes next. He said his first day back in the office would be a confident one, joking that he would walk straight into HR, extend seasonal wishes, and assure them of his continued commitment to the company.