A guy in my corporate office was crowned employee of the year two years in a row. One day he walked by my office with a file box full of desk supplies. I jokingly said “Did they finally fire you?” thinking he was just moving his office or something. Turns out he was THE FIRST person let go in a string of layoffs. I was told later that they deemed his excellent work as non-essential.
It was the red pill / blue pill moment in my career. I am now self employed.