Tech Worker Fired Over TikTok Video Handles Online Backlash With A Smile

A since-deleted TikTok video got 24-year-old California tech worker Michelle Sarna fired from her job. What she thought was an innocent moment showing her followers how she forgot to put a coffee mug on her Keurig turned into what she's calling, "redirection." In a TikTok video posted in late September, Sarna, who goes by @brokeasshorsegirl on the social media site, explains what happened to get her fired.

In the video, Sarna explains just where things took an ugly turn. "Last month I took a very quick video. I had forgotten to put a mug underneath my Keurig one morning and so my coffee spilled all over the place and I took a quick little snippet of the coffee everywhere. I turned around my face and said F**K," she began her story. "I hit stop recording and I uploaded and I did not use my big giant brain to think about the fact that in the background of that video you could hear my chief product officer talking, because I was in a meeting."

Her story went on to set the scene a bit more. "It was about 4:30 in the morning. I was in my weekly team standup meeting. They were having a conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with me so I went off camera, took the 20 second video and hit upload and I did not think anything of it until the next day when I got called into a meeting with HR and my chief product officer and they said, 'Hey, somebody sent us this video and we are immediately dismissing you from the company for gross negligence,'" she explained. "And I said, 'It was great working with all of you,' and I hung up the call and I said, 'Holy s**t. This is going to be perfect for my memoir.'"

She then explained that she doesn't think she should have been fired for the quick video because there wasn't anything confidential being discussed and you could barely hear them in the background.  "But alas, they found it to be a fire-able offense and so they canned me," she said. "And I have nothing left to do except for accept it." She also explains that she realizes that she messed up and it was an oversight on her part. After being fired, she decided it was the perfect time to start her own company. She's taking being fired as a "sign from the universe" to start the business she's been thinking about for a while but never had the time to devote to it.

Many of her followers were supportive and had positive thoughts to share about her situation.

"This video was so inspiring you’ve got this, cheering you on! 🥰🥰🥰"

"Employers are honestly OFF THEIR ROCKER with social media policing."

"Sounds like the success story of a future multi millionaire"

"No… I work in fintech And you should not have been fired. They were looking for some thing. Thank you for sharing!! Onward and upwards"

"I too had a brain fart working from home. On camera meeting, drinking my White Claw. Didn't occur to me till my boss was like, 'uh, hello?'"

"Don’t worry I got fired from big tech last month. Having the time changed my life & I should have done it months ago"

Sarna has since told her story in an interview with Insider and now because of the added online attention, she's dealing with some negativity. While her interview was upbeat and encouraging, the comments that stemmed from the story that was posted on Yahoo News, were not. In her most recent TikTok video, she explains just what was said and how she's handling the online backlash.

One of her TikTok followers added to the negativity by commenting, "How about a series called 'taking accountability for our actions,'" but most others were positive. One follower wrote, "You are genuinely my favorite person on the internet." And when another commented, "Please make this a regular series because I’m invested. The *wisdom* from these strangers is just…. too good. 🙃," Sarna responded, "oh it’s happening."