I was recently laid off from my position in a tech company in Germany, and honestly, it feels incredibly unfair. This wasn’t my first time experiencing a layoff, but this one hit me hard. My new manager seemed to take an instant dislike to me, which was compounded by a toxic coworker who engaged in a smear campaign against me. During the Christmas party, I noticed another colleague looking visibly uncomfortable around me, which made me realize how deep the toxicity ran. This coworker went on to poison my relationships with key team members, including the product owner and project manager. She publicly blamed me for issues that weren’t even my responsibility, claiming I was the blocker in our projects. It was frustrating to see how my manager seized the opportunity to talk to the CTO and CEO, ultimately convincing them to let me go. I’ve come to understand that I was navigating a cutthroat work culture, with my manager being Russian, the toxic coworker from Slovakia, and the project manager from Egypt. Despite the harassment and bullying I faced throughout the year, I managed to gray rock them and maintain my composure. Now, I’m dealing with the aftermath: anxiety, depression, and low confidence, but I’m slowly starting to feel better. I did receive severance, but I’m also pursuing legal action against them for the treatment I endured.