A Gurugram man, laid off from his job, is hiding his unemployment from his family. He maintains his daily work routine, spending his days productively at a coffee shop applying for jobs, learning new skills, and volunteering.
A Gurugram man’s attempt to hide his job loss from his family has sparked an emotional conversation online about layoffs, unemployment and the pressure of telling loved ones about career setbacks.
The man, who worked for an MNC in Cyber City, Gurugram, said he was laid off on September 10 after spending seven years with the organisation. Rather than immediately telling his parents, he chose to continue following his regular workday routine so his family, particularly his mother, would not realise that he no longer had a job.
Sharing his experience on Reddit’s r/Gurgaon, he titled his post “Laid Off, but Still Leaving for Work at 9 AM.” His daily routine now involves packing his personal laptop, leaving home in the morning and spending several hours at Starbucks. There, he applies for jobs, works on his skills and is learning Python.
Check the viral post here:
He has also tried to make the unexpected free time meaningful. The man said he teaches underprivileged children in Vasant Kunj and Hauz Khas before heading back home at around 5 PM.
While the routine gives him structure and keeps him productive, pretending that everything is normal has taken an emotional toll.
“It’s an exhausting double life, and I don’t know how long I can sustain it,” he wrote.
His post resonated with several Reddit users who said they had gone through similar experiences after losing their jobs. One user revealed that they had hidden unemployment from their family for months on multiple occasions, including by paying for a co-working space.
“I did same in 2024 for 4 months and did last year 2025 for 6 months. Never told my family that I’m jobless. Paid co-working space charges for around total 10 months. After that got a job and worked for 6 months now again jobless. This time couldn’t do it and told the family that not working as laid off. Now sitting at home, finding jobs again. Stay strong bro. You will get another good job. Keep learning,” said one user.
Another Redditor praised him for maintaining a routine despite the setback.
“Hey, first of all, you’re an amazing human being, and you’re so courageous for choosing to do this alone and not sharing it with someone, whatever the reasons may be. Just wanted to tell you that you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to do.
You’re not falling into negative patterns; you’re still following your routine and living your life. That itself is 80% of the battle won. You’ll land something amazing. Keep going, stay physically active, and you’ll do great❤️” said another.
A third user simply encouraged him, writing, “Everything will be okay one day…..mehnat kabhi waste nahin jaati. Keep punching keep fighting.”
However, some commenters felt that hiding the layoff could make an already difficult period harder. One Redditor advised him to tell his parents and trust that the setback would eventually pass.
“Tell your parents and don’t worry hardworking person like you will get a job for sure . Corporates consider as number not human.”
Another user also highlighted the importance of having family support during difficult periods.
“You don’t need to, being honest is better, jobs will.come and go, same for good and bad times. Being positive is the key and family support is necessary, tell them, your life will be easier.”
The post has opened up a wider discussion around how people cope with layoffs, especially when financial uncertainty is accompanied by the fear of disappointing family members. For the Gurugram man, his temporary routine of coffee-shop work, job hunting, learning and teaching appears to be his way of staying productive while he works towards finding his next opportunity.