I thought my team at Block had gotten too big, then I was laid off. My job search took months to turn around.

Sneh Hira spent months looking for a job after being laid off from Block. Sneh Hira Sneh Hira saw her team at Block expand during the four years she worked there as an operations manager. In February 2026, she was laid off, which she attributed partially to overhiring. While her job search was difficult, she said people's willingness to help restored her faith in humanity. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sneh Hira, who joined Block's Afterpay business in 2022 and was laid off in February. She's in her early 40s and lives in Chicago. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I joined Block's Afterpay business in 2022 as an operations manager. When I went on maternity leave in May 2023, I was the only operations manager on my team.