A Reddit user’s chilling account of their friend—an exceptionally talented Amazon engineer—has gone viral, exposing the paralyzing anxiety gripping employees amid the tech giant’s plan to slash up to 14,000 corporate jobs globally. The friend, described as someone who solves complex technical problems others can’t even articulate, now lives in constant dread, barely sleeping 2–3 hours a night while obsessively checking for a layoff email. The fear has turned his phone into a trigger for panic attacks, with past layoffs delivered in the dead of night or early morning.

The post, titled “What layoff anxiety does to a blud who’s actually good at his job,” highlights how uncertainty erodes mental health long before any official notice. The employee reportedly cannot relax, eat properly, or escape the looming threat of unemployment despite his proven competence. “It’s heartbreaking to see someone great at what they do be this mentally wrecked,” the user wrote, criticizing corporations for ignoring the psychological brutality of prolonged layoff fears.

Netizens flooded the thread with empathy and shared trauma. One commenter recalled enduring nine months of panic during mass firings, while another validated the physical toll—racing heart, loss of appetite, and sleepless nights. Some urged the engineer to leverage his skills elsewhere, noting that clearing Amazon’s rigorous interview process proves he can thrive at rival firms. Others called the situation a stark symptom of impostor syndrome amplified by corporate ruthlessness.

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The layoffs are part of CEO Andy Jassy’s aggressive push to eliminate bureaucracy, cut costs, and accelerate AI and automation adoption. While strategically sound for the company, the human cost is mounting—turning high-performers into shadows of themselves under the weight of job insecurity. As one user poignantly summed up: “The fear of losing your job breaks you long before the layoff does.”

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