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Antiwork

Should I keep working for an corporation that laid me off?

I work remote for a massive global company and was laid off due to corporate restructuring on October 20. I was given a 2-week notice but no severance. As of 10/29, I still have my company computer and access to email, Teams, and everything I had prior to being laid off. I am also receiving automated messages requesting my approval on business-related items. (I was a manager so I have to approve timecards and other compliance items.) My direct boss was also laid off and I haven't heard from her. It is an unusual situation because I and my boss were laid off prior to those that report to us were laid off. They are still working for another week, at least. If no one approves their time, they don't get paid. It's like I still work there but with no compulsion or oversight to me working. (and by “working”…


I work remote for a massive global company and was laid off due to corporate restructuring on October 20. I was given a 2-week notice but no severance. As of 10/29, I still have my company computer and access to email, Teams, and everything I had prior to being laid off. I am also receiving automated messages requesting my approval on business-related items. (I was a manager so I have to approve timecards and other compliance items.) My direct boss was also laid off and I haven't heard from her. It is an unusual situation because I and my boss were laid off prior to those that report to us were laid off. They are still working for another week, at least. If no one approves their time, they don't get paid. It's like I still work there but with no compulsion or oversight to me working. (and by “working” I mean I sign in once or twice a week and click approve on a web app.)

So, I signed in yesterday and did the approvals. I also submitted my time for the week since technically I was working. (I'm salary with unlimited PTO and was told that my time card submissions were always just a formality, even if I don't actually work those hours.)
My question is, should I do this and for how long? Technically, I was laid off but I didn't sign anything about being laid off. I just had a non-recorded Teams meeting with an HR rep who told me my last day was 10/20. She was brand new and admitted that she doesn't know if she is doing these lay-off meetings right.

Should I keep signing in, doing approvals, and submitting a timecard until I am no longer getting a paycheck? With how disorganized and over-bureaucratized the company is, I have a feeling I could milk this for awhile, especially since I don't have a boss anymore. Just an automated system that may still pay me for clocking in.

I'm kind of happy to have been laid off because the company wasted so much of my time on meaningless projects that didn't go anywhere. But I could use the paycheck until I land my next job.

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