New Delhi: A software engineer today said that being among staff laid off by tech giant Google was "like being hit when you're down", as he got the sack just four days after he'd returned from leave after his mother's death.

"I was laid off from Google last week," Tommy York wrote on the career networking platform LinkedIn today, "I found out on my fourth day back from bereavement leave for my Mom, who died from cancer in December."

Google last week announced it's making 12,000 roles redundant, becoming the latest tech major to cut jobs after years of growth.

I started at Google in December, 2021, and my Mom was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer the following February, around when the formal orientation ended and I was put on projects."

I'm grateful that I spent the time and energy I did with my Mom, and not overworking for a company who might decide on one cold Friday morning that my badge doesn't work anymore."

"Life goes on, and someday this will be a self-deprecating story told to amuse and entertain, another obstacle overcome," the post further read.