In a job market where loyalty is often spoken about but rarely rewarded, a recent Reddit post has led to debate about how corporations treat long-serving employees. A worker shared that his boss, a man who had spent more than five decades at the same company, was suddenly terminated without receiving any separation package. The story has since gained traction online, with many questioning how someone with 50 years of service could be shown the door this way.
According to the employee, his boss had been with the company for over 50 years and was widely respected across departments. He described him as someone “everyone loved” and said he “treated everyone fair.” The employee also credited the man for changing his life, explaining that his boss had personally hired him and supported his professional growth by arranging company-paid certifications. He wrote that he owes “everything I have to him.”
The problems began after the original company was acquired by a large international corporation last year. Following the takeover, mass layoffs were announced in October and carried out in early December, just before Christmas. During that round, affected employees were given separation packages. No one in the Reddit user’s department lost their job at that time.
Performance Plan and Sudden Exit
In early February, the veteran boss was placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The employee claimed the issues cited were tied to field quality problems that were not directly under his boss’s day-to-day responsibilities. Because the costs were assigned to their facility on paper, he became, in the employee’s words, “the fall guy.”
Not long after, management terminated him effective immediately, stating he had failed to meet the PIP expectations. The employee said he was given the “decency” of not being walked out to the gate, but he did not receive any separation package.
The comparison has left many workers upset. As the Reddit user pointed out, employees with just two years at the company received packages during the December layoffs, while someone who gave 50 years did not. He wrote, “50 years gone in 1 day, I want to scream right now!”
Knowledge Lost Overnight
Beyond the emotional reaction, employees are worried about the operational impact. The worker said his boss was “literally the only person who knew certain things.” When he raised a technical concern with a supervisor after the termination, the response he got was simply, “… oh fuck.”
He added that his former boss had forgotten more information than most people at the company currently know. Many colleagues had worked with him for 30 years or more, and then, as the employee described it, “he just vanished.”
What Happens Next?
There is growing concern about who will replace him and how prepared they will be. “I feel sorry for who replaces him because not only are we going to automatically dislike them, they will have no proper training,” the employee wrote. He also admitted he has already started exploring other job options because “itll get worse before it gets better.”
Several commenters suggested the firing could raise questions about age discrimination and encouraged the former boss to consult an employment attorney. The Reddit user responded that his boss “has plenty of ammo to go that route” and said he hopes he does.
In a later comment, he mentioned that his former boss is planning to start his own LLC.