“I never took a break, I never slowed down”: Redditor fired from Amazon after 17 years, Internet users react
A Reddit post has gone viral after a longtime Amazon employee shared a deeply emotional account of being fired after 17 years at the company. The message titled – Was fired after 17 years — lays bare the disillusionment of a worker who spent nearly two decades at Amazon continuously, only to lose his job without warning.
The employee wrote that he broke down in tears after reading the termination email. For the first time in years, he said, he spent a morning making breakfast and taking his children to school — a simple routine that made him wonder how much of his life had been spent working.
“I told myself I was doing this for my family, even when I was too tired to play with my kids or sit down to dinner,” the post read. “Seeing them smile that day hit me hard. Maybe this is what living is?”
The story struck a chord online, sparking reactions and sparking conversations about burnout, job security and company loyalty. Many users called the post a stark reminder of how vulnerable workers can be, even after years of service.
“Dude, we got played. Society doesn’t care about you,” one commenter wrote.
Another warned against companies that promote “unlimited PTO” as a benefit, noting: “Every study I’ve seen shows that people with unlimited PTO take less time off.” This is a culture indicator of burnout. »
Others urged professionals to rethink their priorities. “You should work to live your life, not live to work,” one user said. “You are just a small cog in their machine that will be replaced.”
The discussion comes at a time when Amazon itself is reportedly preparing for its largest layoff on record. According to a CNBC report, the company is expected to begin cutting up to 30,000 jobs, which will affect almost every industry.
With about 350,000 employees, the move would eliminate about 9% of Amazon’s white-collar workforce. The company, which employs 1.54 million people worldwide – most in warehouse and logistics roles – has not yet commented on the announced cuts.
