New York woman gets laid off, and then her ex-employer sends her a bag of dirt, rubbing salt in the wound: ’THAT’S SO EVIL’

A New York woman receives a call that her company has decided to lay her off while she wasn’t in the office. The company ships all of the things on her desk back to her. She can’t believe what’s in one of the plastic bags.

In a video with over 177,000 views, TikToker @eggdressesup arrives at her New York City apartment after the layoff. She holds a large shipping box.

“They basically packed up the rest of my things that I left on my desk,” she explains. “But tell me why they did this.”

In a previous TikTok, she shares that 50% of the unnamed tech company’s workforce lost their jobs as part of a massive restructuring.

She picks up a large, sealed plastic bag filled with dirt and broken ceramic.

“Literally sent me back the succulents I had on my table. They just tossed them into a bag. Of course, everything broke,” she continues. “Now it’s just a bag of dirt.”

The TikToker questions why the company would “waste money” to ship the dirt and broken pots.

“It makes no sense!” she exclaims.

Viewers react to the bag of dirt

In the comments of the viral video, viewers discuss the “unprofessional” and “disrespectful” package she received.

“Not me waiting for a cute thank you gift or something nice, not this,” a commenter writes.

“It’s like beating the dead horse and shipping it to you in plastic bag i’m so sorry,” a second says.

Others say the same happened to them.

“My company did the exact same thing. They put all my plants in a box and pots not wrapped at all. I sent photos and gave them a list of broken items and missing items,” one shares.

Another says, “Bru why did this happen to me tooooooo.”

“This happened to me too! except it wasn’t my plant it was a random office plant,” a third comments. “3 years on and me and the rejected plant are still going strong!”

Do companies have to send you your things after a layoff?

Laid-off workers are generally not allowed back into the office after their termination. So, picking up their things can be a major logistical issue. Redditors on r/AskHR discuss whether companies are obligated to mail workers’ items to them after a layoff.

“No, they don’t have to ship your things to you. If they said they would when you were fired, it was before they knew about the size/amount of personal items in your office,” a commenter suggests.

“I am not aware of any law that mandates they ship your belongings to you. You brought the things in. You can go pick them up. If they are coordinating an offsite pickup, so be it,” a second says.

Human Resources (HR) workers warn others not to bring valuables to the office in case they’re impacted by a layoff.

“I’m an office/facility manager and am responsible for getting former employees their personal items after they’ve been terminated. This is exactly why I always tell people not to treat their workstation like it’s their own private space. We’ve had employees bring in furniture,” one shares.

Another suggests, “My dad always told me whatever you have in your office make sure you can carry it out in one trip in a box or two.”

@eggdressesup stop it i’m already dead ?? #layoffs #techlayoffs ♬ Tonight, Just Us – Cuisine Culture

The Mary Sue reached out to Eggdressesup via email and TikTok direct message.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]