‘One of the darkest days…': Indian CEO recalls firing 25 employees in a day, reveals why he couldn't even say ‘I'm sorry'

Indian Express

11 hours ago

A LinkedIn post by Mumbai-based entrepreneur Sampark Sachdeva has struck a chord online after he opened up about one of the toughest moments of his professional life, being asked to fire 25 employees in a single day.
Recalling the incident, Sachdeva said the management had instructed him to remain 'cold' and detached while breaking the news. He wasn't allowed to show sympathy or even say 'I'm sorry,' since it could be seen as taking responsibility. Instead, he had to stick to a script: 'Please submit your ID card and laptop. HR will reach out for formalities. Your system's access will be disabled shortly.'
What made the ordeal unbearable, he wrote, were the faces he had to look into while delivering the message. One that still haunts him is that of a single mother, seated across from him, trying to hold back tears. 'I saw the tear form at the corner of her eyes. And then, snap, it dropped.'
Sachdeva clarified that he had no part in deciding who would be laid off; he was simply the one chosen to deliver the decision. But that did little to ease the weight of the task. 'Try telling that to a father of two. To someone who just took a home loan. To the girl who had moved cities for this role,' he reflected.
One employee's response has stayed with him over the years. Without bitterness, the man told him: 'Sir, you had hired me. You were here, so I stayed. Today, you are asking me to go, so I will go.'
Once the task was complete, Sachdeva said he rushed out of the office and broke down, away from his team. 'That day, I didn't feel like a leader. I felt like a number. A face delivering a system's decision. And yet, I carried their faces with me long after.'
Now, years later, the memory still lingers. He admitted that while companies move forward and employees eventually rebuild their lives, some moments remain etched forever. 'Some days, when I sit quietly by myself, that single tear still haunts me. Because leadership is not just about making decisions. It's about learning to live with them.'
His post has triggered a wave of responses from professionals, with many sharing their experiences of layoffs, on both sides of the table, and reflecting on the often unseen emotional burden that leadership carries. An individual wrote, 'I can completely understand what you are going through Sampark, I had to do that twice in two years, and it broke me completely inside but this is the dark side of corporate world. Had to explain myself that I had to just do my job without any emotional feelings but the scar still remains.'
Another person commented, 'Layoffs may be a business reality, but the way they're handled leaves a lasting imprint on both sides of the table.'
A third individual wrote, 'This is a moving reflection on the human side of leadership. A reminder that every decision impacts lives far beyond the office walls.'