Former TikTok Employee Shares Workplace Challenges
A former TikTok employee has publicly criticised the social media giant following their recent wave of layoffs, describing the company’s working environment as “toxic” and deeply impersonal.
The ex-employee, who worked at TikTok’s London office, revealed that their redundancy was announced via an automated email, similar to what they called a “ChatGPT-style” email.
“After months of dedicated work, it’s disheartening to find out you’re no longer needed through a cold, auto-generated message,” they said.
TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, recently announced significant job cuts across multiple regions. Several UK-based roles were among those affected.
The layoffs come as part of wider restructuring efforts, with the company citing changing market conditions and regulatory challenges. This comes as TikTok’s operations continue to face global scrutiny, including recent resistance from Apple and Google against proposed bans, as revealed in this detailed report.
But for many employees, the method of dismissal has raised more concerns than the layoffs themselves.
Following the viral post, other TikTok employees, both former and current, have come forward to share similar experiences.
Several individuals reported that the work culture at TikTok was characterized by intense pressure, long hours, and aggressive performance targets.
One employee described the atmosphere as “highly competitive to the point of being harmful.” They added, “People would often work into the night just to keep up.”
Another ex-employee said, “We were expected to produce non-stop viral content, but when the stress got too much, we were made to feel replaceable.”
Some reported that managers were often unapproachable. “You couldn’t really speak up. If you raised concerns about burnout, you were just told to push through,” one person said.
A few anonymous accounts claimed the redundancy emails arrived without warning. “I checked my inbox, and suddenly I wasn’t part of the team anymore. No conversation, no heads-up, just an automated notice.”
The lack of personal interaction during the layoffs has left many feeling undervalued. “At the end of the day, we were treated like data points,” said one employee.
TikTok has acknowledged the layoffs but has not directly addressed the claims of a toxic culture or the use of automated redundancy notices.
In a brief statement, the company said, “We are making global organisational adjustments to improve operational efficiency and focus on key business priorities.”
TikTok added, “We remain committed to supporting affected employees during this transition.”
However, the statement offered little detail about what support is being provided, raising further questions among staff and observers.
Some critics argue the response from TikTok has been vague and insufficient. “A commitment to support is not enough if it isn’t matched with real, human conversations,” said Sarah Langley, a workplace culture consultant based in Manchester.
Langley warned that over-reliance on automated systems in HR can have serious emotional impacts. “When people lose their jobs, they need empathy, not algorithms,” she said.
This case has sparked broader conversations about employee well-being in the fast-paced tech sector.
Experts say the race for growth and virality often comes at the expense of sustainable, people-focused workplaces.
For the former TikTok employee, the experience has been a difficult but valuable lesson.
“I’ve come to understand that no career is worth compromising your peace of mind”. “Moving forward, I’ll be looking for companies that genuinely care about their people, not just their numbers.”
