''Heartbroken'': Google Employee Laid Off During Maternity Leave After 12.5 Years At Company

The past few months have been gloomy for the technology sector as several big tech firms have carried out massive layoffs. Recently, a US woman shared how she was laid off at Google while on maternity leave after over 12 years at the company. Nichole Foley, a former recruiting manager at Google, said she was ''heartbroken and devastated'' as was laid off while on leave with her 10-week-old baby. 

“After 12.5 years at Google, I unfortunately was impacted while on maternity leave by the Google recruiting layoffs that happened last Wednesday. I am heartbroken & devastated to say the least, especially while on leave with a 10-week-old. I will however be forever grateful for all of my time at Google, and for the AMAZING people I was able to work with who I call my friends & more importantly, my family," she wrote in a LinkedIn POST.

Though she said she is unsure of what's going to happen next, or how she will cope with it, she believes that things will eventually work out.

''I am having a hard time wrapping my head around what is next or how I am going to interview & work elsewhere at this moment, but I know that things will work out, and I am excited to see what is next,'' she wrote.

See the post here:

Determined to bounce back, Ms. Foley urged people on LinkedIn to suggest better opportunities available for her and invited connections. ''If you know of any Staffing Manager roles in any industry or Program Manager roles, please keep me in mind. I would love to connect with anyone even if there is not a role at this time. The more connections, the merrier. Also if anyone is looking for IC recruiters for any and all industries, please reach out. My team was heavily impacted and they are incredible recruiters,'' she wrote.

Many people reached out to her in the comments section, while many offered sympathy and support. Some also shared similar stories of being laid off during maternity leave, which sadly shows that such situations are not uncommon. 

One woman wrote, ''Nichole, I do not know you but wanted to post to say I'm sorry this happened to you. This also happened to me in May and it was/is a very tender time to get this kind of news when you're full focus should be on your sweet baby. I'm sorry you are now part of this ''club'' but please know you are not alone. Us mommas are strong and we will find new positions that are perfect fits for our families.''

Another commented, ''I'm sorry that this happened to you and I wish you the very best as you search for your next big thing. Inflicting this kind of survival-stress on a pregnant, lactating, and/or caretaking body (cortisol damage is real) may be legal, but it is so deeply shameful. And companies do it way too often. Know that the whole world of decent humans feels embarrassed for your manager or whoever decided this was okay. Signed, a total stranger and fellow mom who is so tired of seeing this happen.''