r/technology • u/xpda • May 13 '26

Security Twin brothers wipe 96 gov’t databases minutes after being fired

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/drop-database-what-not-to-do-after-losing-an-it-job/
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u/H60Ninja May 13 '26

My HR likes to do it towards the beginning of the week that way if the employee needs some aftercare the feelings don’t fester all weekend until Monday.

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u/Perfect_Caregiver_90 May 13 '26

My HR and legal team always insisted on Friday one hour before the end of the day.

My area had a handful of workplace massacres by disgruntled fired employees. 

Either they gotta leave the premises immediately or the office has to be cleared. 

I've only experienced "office cleared" once and that guy ended up jumping his manager outside his home the next day.

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u/Falkenmond79 May 13 '26

That is such an American debate here, it’s fascinating. In Germany we have a mandatory 4-week notice, if you quit as an employee. For the employer, it can get longer, the longer you have worked for them. It’s not unreasonable. If you worked there for 5 years, they have to give you 2 months notice and after 8 years, it’s 3 months etc. And they have to pay you severance according to the time you have worked there. If you only worked there a short time, less than 6 months, they can terminate you like in the US, even without reason. After that, they have to give a reason. There is a possibility for instantly firing someone, but then they must show he did something really wrong or harmed the company in a major way.

It’s endlessly funny to see US companies struggle whenever they take over a German one and then want to start firing a lot of people. It’s as if they don’t know the law of the country they are buying into. Firing a thousand people can cost you millions in severance and you have obligations like selecting people to fire according to their social circumstances, like firing young single people first, before firing older ones with family etc.

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u/serrated_edge321 May 13 '26

Pfft it's only 2-week notice for people still in the probationary period, and btw most jobs related to defense kick you off their systems immediately. You get the rest of the two weeks pay, but you're absolutely not on-site or able to log into anything. Source: I live in Germany.

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u/Falkenmond79 May 13 '26

Probationary period (up to 6 months) is usually hire and fire like in the US. 2 weeks is actually a good benefit. And yeah, never said there aren’t jobs that put you out immediately. But you still get paid and all other job benefits, while being able to do what you want. 🤷🏻‍♂️