On November 9, 2025, an anonymous employee’s Reddit post in r/Wellthatsucks went viral (over 40,000 upvotes), describing a chaotic HR blunder at a mid-sized tech company (about 300 employees). While testing a new automated offboarding tool for layoffs, the HR team forgot to switch from “test mode” to “live mode.” This triggered templated “termination notices” to be emailed to every employee, including the CEO. The emails declared everyone’s “last working day effective immediately,” complete with formal language about exit procedures, final pay, and return of company property.
The Viral Reddit Post: The original post, titled something along the lines of “HR accidentally fired the entire company, including the CEO,” was shared by u/anonymous-employee (exact username redacted for privacy). It read: “This morning, 300 employees (including leadership) got an email that started with: ‘Your last working day is effective immediately.’ Turns out HR was testing a new offboarding automation tool and forgot to toggle it out of live mode. Slack went nuclear—managers asking if they should pack, IT screaming in all caps: ‘NO ONE IS FIRED. PLEASE DO NOT TURN IN YOUR BADGES.’ The CEO got it mid-board call. Chaos, but no actual layoffs.” The post exploded with 36k+ upvotes within hours, amassing hundreds of comments like: “Any company that needs a mass termination tool is doomed to fail” (top comment, 12k upvotes) and “HR just unionized us overnight.” Screenshots of the email and Slack frenzy were attached, fueling the shares.
Immediate Fallout:
- Panic Ensued: Employees flooded Slack with confusion and memes. One user quipped, “Am I packing my desk or the CEO’s?” Remote workers joked about “logging off forever.”
- CEO’s Response: The CEO reportedly received it during a board call, leading to an emergency all-hands meeting within 30 minutes. HR sent a frantic follow-up: “No one is fired—this was a test error. Apologies for the scare.”
- Damage Control: IT scrambled to recall emails, but screenshots spread like wildfire on internal chats. Morale dipped, with some employees questioning the need for a “mass termination tool” amid ongoing economic pressures.
Internet Reaction:
- Viral Buzz: The story exploded on Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), and news sites like NDTV, News18, Livemint, and Storyboard18. On X, searches for “HR termination emails everyone CEO” yielded related chatter, but no direct mega-viral threads—mostly echoes of the Reddit tale in replies to news shares (e.g., users calling it “corporate comedy gold” or “red flag for layoffs”). Comments ranged from hilarious (“HR just unionized us overnight”) to ominous (“If they’re testing layoff bots, run”).
- Broader Commentary: It sparked debates on automation in HR, with users sharing similar gaffes (e.g., accidental salary leaks or wrong-person firings). No real layoffs occurred, but trust in leadership took a hit.
Key Takeaway: A simple toggle switch turned a routine test into corporate comedy gold—and a reminder that even CEOs aren’t immune to HR’s wildest whoopsies. No updates on HR consequences yet, but expect awkward team-building soon.