On social media, many viewers stunned after a moment showing a tech worker share video of being fired on Tiktiok.
Brittany Pietsch, a 27-year-old tech worker, shared a video of herself being fired that quickly went viral on TikTok.
Pietsch’s viral TikTok highlights the firing experience
On social media, the former Cloudflare account executive, known as @brittanypeachhh, shared her experience after being laid off.
Her story sparked widespread discussions about workplace transparency and layoffs.
In a nine-minute video, Pietsch captured her firing during a virtual meeting with Cloudflare’s human resources team. She filmed the call from her Atlanta home.
She told The Journal: “I have received so many messages of people telling me, ‘I wish I would have stood up for myself the way you did’,”
During the meeting, HR representatives informed her of her dismissal without providing a clear reason. Pietsch pushed back, questioning why her manager was not on the call and asking for specific performance feedback.
HR’s response lacked specificity
Following news of her dismissal, Pietsch questioned why her manager wasn’t present on the call and requested an explanation for her termination.
One HR representative referred to the layoff as part of a “collective calibration” within the company. However, they could not provide concrete details about her termination.
@brittanypeachhh Original creator reposting: brittany peach cloudflare layoff. When you know you’re about to get laid off so you film it 🙂 this was traumatizing honestly lmao #cloudflare #techlayoffs #tech #layoff
When Pietsch requested a specific reason for her firing, Dom responded, ‘I won’t be able to provide any specifics regarding numbers
While, another HR representative offered to follow up for additional information but admitted they could not share specifics during the call.
Pietsch defended her work, highlighting her contributions since being hired on August 25. She stated she had the highest activity on her team, managed multiple contracts, and performed well overall.
Despite her efforts, she felt her concerns were dismissed during the meeting.
Social media reaction
Pietsch’s video quickly went viral and sparked debate among viewers. In the comment section, many defended Pietsch, highlighting the importance of workplace transparency, while others criticized the lack of manager involvement in her layoff.
Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince reacted to the viral video on X (formerly Twitter). He described the video as “painful to watch” and criticized the lack of manager involvement in the firing process.
One person said: The people on TikTok supporting her are most likely not potential employers…
A second wrote: Good luck with future employers, now that it’s viral it will follow you to every interview you go to
While a third commented: Fired (laid off) for not being able to do her job, but yes, let’s put her on a pedestal.
Another added: Yep she’s just so brave and smart”NOT”. Now see how many future employers pass her by!!
Prince emphasized that no employee should be surprised by their performance issues and acknowledged that the process was mishandled.
Pietsch reflects on the experience
Pietsch later explained that she posted the video to update her family and friends, not to gain viral attention. However, she has since received an outpouring of messages from others who admired her courage.
“I don’t regret sharing that,” she told *The Wall Street Journal*. “Many people have said they wish they had done the same.”
In short, The video has sparked discussions about layoffs, workplace transparency, and the role of HR in termination processes. Cloudflare has not issued an official comment on the situation.