Job Loss and Cortisone Mania
A personal account of a tech worker navigating the emotional and physical toll of a sudden layoff during a probation period. The author describes the subsequent health challenges, including an autoimmune flare-up triggered by a viral infection.
Why it matters
It provides a human perspective on the instability of the modern tech job market and the intersection of professional stress with personal health.
Losing my job, getting sick, and searching for meaning. Written at 06:45, 2026-10-20 .
On the morning of 18th August, I got invited at short notice into a 1:1 meeting by my manager, which was unusual . I think I knew what was coming, and I was right: The company is restructuring, and I’m being let go (among a lot of other people). I had time until lunch to say my goodbyes to my colleagues as I would be logged out of my account after that. Because I was still in my six-month probation period, I was put on paid leave for two more weeks; after that I’d be out of a job for the first time since I started working roughly 10 years ago.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in