So there’s this report from Blind (backed by a Level 3-2 manager) saying TikTok is getting “creative” with layoffs to avoid bad PR . Basically, they’re not doing traditional layoffs but finding excuses to fire people instead.
Management apparently got told to be “creative” about cutting headcount. Here’s what people are getting fired for:
Missing RTO days
Using company laptop for personal stuff
Suspected dual employment
Using external AI tools
Two consecutive M performance reviews
Reorganizations
This isn’t just rumors either - TikTok actually did lay off US e-commerce employees in May 2025 and cut trust & safety staff earlier this year. So they are definitely reducing headcount; the question is just how they’re doing it.
For anyone thinking of joining TikTok right now, I’d be cautious. The whole “we’ll find a reason to fire you” vibe doesn’t sound like a stable work environment . Maybe wait and see how this plays out?
The bigger picture here is that this “stealth layoff” thing is becoming common in tech. Companies don’t want the bad press of mass layoffs, so they use policy violations as cover. It’s sketchy but apparently legal.
Btw, I heard someone mention that doing layoffs would freeze a company’s PERM or make it harder to apply for L-1 visas. Is it true?
Yep, this is becoming a trend across tech, and it’s honestly pretty alarming—especially for anyone on a visa. According to what’s being reported, TikTok isn’t doing standard layoffs but is instead telling managers to be “creative” in reducing headcount, which basically means firing people for minor or selectively enforced policy violations. And it’s not just talk—there were confirmed layoffs in U.S. e-commerce and trust & safety teams this year. What makes this especially sketchy is that companies might be doing it this way to avoid the legal and operational consequences of official layoffs. For example, formal layoffs can complicate green card sponsorship through PERM, especially if they’ve let people go in similar roles recently. It can also raise red flags for L-1 visa approvals. So instead, they find individual “reasons” to terminate people quietly. For international employees—on F-1 OPT, H-1B, or Day 1 CPT—this means even more uncertainty, because you could be doing everything right and still get caught in internal politics or vague enforcement. Anyone considering an offer from TikTok or similar companies right now should definitely ask tough questions about RTO policy, use of external tools, and how performance is evaluated. It’s not just about the job anymore—it’s about protecting your immigration status in a shifting landscape.
If a company lays off employees in similar roles within the past 6 months, it can complicate or delay future PERM labor certification applications. The company might have to justify why they’re hiring foreign workers instead of laid-off Americans.
Layoffs don’t directly freeze L-1s, but if a company is reducing U.S. headcount, it can raise red flags during petition reviews—especially if it looks like they’re replacing U.S. workers with international staff.
. Basically, they’re not doing traditional layoffs but finding excuses to fire people instead.
. Maybe wait and see how this plays out?
