A CEO from a US-based company fired 99 employees after they missed an important meeting. The decision quickly drew public attention when an intern shared a screenshot of the CEO’s angry Slack message on Reddit, where it gained widespread scrutiny.
The Intern’s Account of the Incident
The Reddit user, who had recently joined a marketplace for musical instruments as an intern, revealed that he was fired just one hour after being hired. He posted the screenshot of the CEO’s message in which 99 out of the company’s 111 employees were terminated.
The CEO’s Harsh Message
In the Slack message, the CEO, identified as Baldvin, expressed his frustration and disappointment with his staff. He told them that those who failed to attend the meeting that morning were being officially fired. He wrote, “For those of you who did not show up to the meeting this morning, consider this your official notice: you’re all fired.”
Baldvin continued by accusing the employees of failing to meet their obligations. “You failed to do what you agreed to, you failed to complete your part of the contract, and you failed to show up to the meetings you were supposed to attend and work for,” he wrote. He instructed them to return any company property, sign out of all accounts, and leave the Slack channel.
Justification for the Firing
The CEO justified his extreme decision by saying the employees had not taken the job seriously. He added, “I gave you an opportunity to make your life better, to work hard, and to grow. Yet, you have shown me that you don’t take this seriously.”
Out of 110 employees, Baldvin stated only 11 had shown up for the meeting. He declared that these 11 would remain employed, while the rest were terminated. The CEO ended his message with a blunt, “Get the f*** out of my business right now.”
Public Reaction and Criticism
The harsh message quickly sparked outrage on Reddit’s ‘Recruiting Hell’ forum, where users often voice their concerns about workplace issues. Many Reddit users questioned the circumstances of the meeting and whether the employees had been properly informed. One user wrote, “I assume the CEO failed to inform the team about that meeting. I cannot believe that 99 people will fail to attend a meeting if they got informed.”
Others were skeptical about the CEO’s actions. One theorized, “You don’t fire 90% of your staff for missing a meeting. You create a fireable situation so you can get rid of them without warning because there is a massive financial problem.”
While the majority criticized the CEO’s handling of the situation, many agreed the scenario seemed odd and raised further questions.