‘I might be next...’: Corporate employee shares concerns after colleague gets fired without notice. Is your job safe?

A colleague walks into work, is suddenly told to pack their belongings and leaves the office the same day. For the person watching, the shock may not end when the door closes. It can trigger a much bigger question: how secure is my own job? That is what happened to a Reddit user who said a colleague was dismissed without warning. The worker, who had joined the company only two weeks earlier, said the incident made him question whether he could also lose his job without notice. “I might not have a job tomorrow or a week later,” he wrote, according to Hindustan Times.

Why does someone else’s layoff feel personal?

The employee said the dismissal made him reconsider what job security means, even though the colleague worked in sales while he worked in another role. His concern was not simply about the possibility of making a mistake. It was the uncertainty surrounding how quickly circumstances could change.

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The reaction is not unusual. Workplace researchers have long found that layoffs can affect employees who remain with a company, creating anxiety, reduced trust and concerns about their own future. The American Psychological Association reported in 2025 that layoffs can have “rippling effects” across an organisation, affecting workplace culture, performance and employee engagement.

Job insecurity is becoming a wider workplace concern

The anxiety described by the employee also reflects a broader concern among workers. ADP Research’s 2026 Global Workforce Survey, which collected responses from more than 39,000 workers across 36 markets, found that only 22% strongly agreed that their job was safe from elimination. The research also found particularly high levels of insecurity among workers in repetitive roles and those lower in management.

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The American Psychological Association has similarly reported that job insecurity can affect mental and physical health, job satisfaction and trust in an organisation. Its 2025 Work in America survey found that 65% of workers aged 26 to 43 described job insecurity as a significant stressor, compared with 75% among workers aged 18 to 25.

Layoffs can change how the remaining staff work

A company does not necessarily return to normal once a dismissed employee has left. APA-cited research found that workers in organisations that had experienced layoffs reported greater concern about job security and higher levels of burnout than employees in workplaces without layoffs. The uncertainty can also affect how employees view their relationship with their employer.

That helps explain why an employee who has not been threatened with dismissal can nevertheless begin worrying about being next. The visible experience of a colleague can change perceptions of what is possible. SHRM reported in May that fears surrounding layoffs were creating an additional layer of workplace stress, with experts warning that uncertainty can contribute to distraction, disengagement and hesitation among employees.

Employees are looking for something beyond a bigger salary

Job security is also influencing how workers evaluate their jobs.

A September 2026 report from MarketWatch, citing Monster’s 2026 Job Security Report, found that more than half of surveyed US workers would accept a pay cut in exchange for greater job security. About 61% said they would give up at least one element of compensation or workplace benefits for greater stability.

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Mercer’s 2026 Inside Employees’ Minds research likewise found that economic uncertainty and AI-driven workplace changes were making employees more concerned about their future. The survey of more than 4,500 US employees found that workers were placing greater importance on transparency, career development and understanding how AI could affect their roles.

The bigger question is trust

The Reddit post began with one employee witnessing a colleague being dismissed. But the discussion it sparked points to something much broader: job security isn't only about whether someone is employed today. It is also about whether employees understand how decisions are made, whether managers communicate clearly and whether workers believe they have some control over their future. A sudden firing may last only a few minutes. For those left behind, however, the uncertainty it creates can linger much longer. And in an increasingly unpredictable workplace, the question “Could I be next?” may be just as significant as the dismissal itself.