One part-time employee contacted HR about her termination and was shocked to learn that her supervisor had made up the whole thing.
Losing someone you love is already one of the hardest things a person can go through. But think of that grief, then being handed a termination notice that’s just completely fabricated. That’s precisely what happened to part-time employee Samantha Lee, whose TikTok post exposing her supervisor’s deception went viral and sparked a wave of outrage online.
A family emergency, a boundary, and a boss who didn’t like it
When Lee’s grandfather died, she did what any reasonable employee would do and told her supervisor, Sarah, that she would be unavailable for two weeks to be with her family. Lee is a part-time worker and did not have to formally ask for time off. She just had to tell her employer that she won’t be free. According to Daily Dot, Lee had specifically told Sarah this in advance.
But Sarah didn’t look at it that way. She emailed Lee to say there “might have been a misunderstanding” and that she expected Lee to come in during those two weeks. Lee held her ground: “I apologize for any inconvenience, but my priorities are to be with my family.” Sarah immediately walked it back, saying “this will most likely be fine due to bereavement leave.” The issue appeared to be resolved.
An organization’s response to an employee’s grief speaks volumes about its workplace culture, and a generous, clearly defined bereavement leave shows leadership understands employees are people first, according to SHRM. Sarah’s initial push-back had been a sign of a culture moving in the opposite direction.
A fake termination disguised as sympathy
Soon thereafter, another email arrived from Sarah, this one crossing an entirely different line. Sarah used empathy to tell her that her employment contract had been terminated. She wrote that she too had suffered loss while working overseas and hadn’t been able to attend a funeral and wished things had been different. She said it was HR who decided to terminate Lee’s contract. The email ended with a promise to “lend an ear” if Lee ever needed advice.
The tone felt warm. The content was a lie.
According to Paychex, supervisors involved in termination decisions are expected to coordinate with HR and other leadership to ensure the process is handled with transparency, proper documentation and clear communication and to communicate with the employee only after all parties are aligned. Sarah had done none of that.
It all came out in one email to HR
Lee waited a few days for official word from HR. When nothing happened, she emailed them directly, and CC’d her supervisors. HR’s response was swift and shocking: “To clarify, Human Resources did not advise or confirm a termination.”
Sarah hadn’t even talked to HR. She had totally invented the termination, likely banking on Lee just not showing up and then getting fired for a no-call, no-show. As one TikTok commenter, @backwardsankle put it: “Sent it personally so you would think you were fired, not show up, and then actually get fired for NCNS. She didn’t think you’d verify.”
Another user, @emptyangls, pointed out the obvious contradiction: “The fact ‘we’re severely understaffed’ and ‘you’re terminated’ are in the same email is sending me.”
A toxic pattern too many employees can recognize
This story strikes a nerve because it’s far from being the only one. A 2025 Toxic Workplace Trends Report from iHire found that 53.7% of US employees have quit a job due to a toxic workplace, often because of abuse of power or bad management. The same data show that when HR teams or managers lack proper training or accountability, abusive behavior can persist and go unchallenged, and quietly so.
Lee’s case became the textbook case of that dynamic. A supervisor who abused her position, bypassed institutional safeguards, and used the guise of empathy to pursue a scheme that could have cost a grieving worker her income and work record.
The aftermath: karma had done its work
The internet had spoken, and it was clear what should be done next. “Tell me she doesn’t have a job anymore?” asked @solid_gold_hobo, “Impersonating admin and making decisions way above her pay grade is a pretty severe problem.” Lee said Sarah was not officially fired, but she did “quit” within the month.
For millions of workers, especially young workers who are experiencing their first power plays at work, this story will serve as a reminder: always verify. Always loop in HR, and if something is not quite right at work, one email can make all the difference.