A woman’s bold response during a layoff call is being hailed online, and the viral video has now racked up millions of views. Graphic designer and digital creator Karson Bree (@babyplight) didn’t just accept her sudden termination quietly. She turned the uncomfortable Zoom call into a moment of empowerment. Bree, who worked for a local magazine for less than three months, posted the footage to TikTok. The video has already been viewed over 3.2 million times with over 246.2K likes.
The video begins with Karson sitting on a Zoom call with two senior staff members and an HR representative, their faces blurred. Within seconds, she’s informed that her position is being “terminated effective immediately.” When she calmly asked for an explanation, she was met with nearly ten seconds of dead silence.
Worker turns the tables on her boss during a Zoom layoff call
Eventually, someone awkwardly cited late publication issues, typos, and an ill-fitting design style. However, Bree quickly turned the conversation around. She pushed back, pointing out that delays were largely due to leadership failures. Namely, receiving materials late, being denied access to essential tools, and getting no response from her manager when she reached out for help.
“I have met my requirements,” she said firmly. “And quite honestly a lot of the reasonings as to why it was late was dependent upon you.”
“I’ve asked considerable amounts of being able to access things such as the production email to help these things get out more on time. And every step of the way I was met with roadblocks and being told no as my direct report,” Bree went on, before calling her boss out for being absent and unhelpful.
“As my direct report, I never felt like you stepped up and asked me if I could use help. I received very little feedback from you and often there were times where I did reach out to you without being told anything or having any reply or response whatsoever.”
Bree didn’t let the moment pass without highlighting the broader issues during the Zoom call.
She emphasized how little support she received from her boss, Julie, even calling out the 11pm message she received the night before the layoff, followed by having her access to work tools immediately revoked.
“I feel like I’ve done every step of the way of trying to do this job to the best of my abilities and quite frankly you’ve made it very difficult,” she said. She once again called out other employees for getting the materials to her late.
“If I had been given materials in enough time, I would have been able to design, to design a little bit better…when it comes down to it, the publications being sent out late were not of my fault. I want that to be clear. It was not my fault.”
The graphic designer said she knew the meeting wasn’t about Julie, but needed to make her frustrations clear while she had the chance. “Sincerely, Julie, I hope you take this as a growth opportunity because every step of this since starting, my biggest frustration was working with you. I want that to be known.”
She ended the call with a mic-drop sign-off: “It’s been lovely working with you, Kendall. I cannot say the same for you, Julie. Have a great day.”
TikTok praised Bree’s words as a masterclass in self-advocacy
The internet swiftly rallied around her. TikTok users flooded the comments with praise for her professionalism, composure, and ability to advocate for herself in real time.
“That was so embarrassing for them,” one viewer wrote. Another added, “The awkward silence when you asked them questions spoke volumes. They clearly didn’t have any reason to terminate you.”
Others shared similar experiences, with many echoing the same sentiment: workers are tired of being let go without reason or accountability. Karson’s video didn’t just go viral; it sparked a larger conversation about how companies treat their employees, and what professionalism really looks like when the tables are turned.
@babyplight Sharing my layoff video from last year cause why not. 🤷♀️😅 For context: I took a position with a local company known for treating employees poorly and was run by a woman who couldn’t pronounce or spell words like, “Mahjong” despite being the Editor in Chief, and wrote her editor letters via voice note and later edited by an actual editor. I had no training, onboarding (literally set up my own HR documents and everything.), and had to teach myself new software that almost no one but last employees knew how to use. It was a shit show, and this was the first time ever that I was receiving any type of feedback about my work. Enjoy! #layoffs #laidoff #layoff ♬ original sound – Karson Bree
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