Laid Off Right Before Bonus Despite Positive Reviews - Recensione dipendente - Digital Engineering Lead Engineer presso NTT DATA

I worked at Entity Data as a full-time permanent employee for over two and a half years, remotely supporting their Victoria, BC office. For most of that time, I was continuously assigned to client projects and consistently delivered strong results. After the conclusion of my most recent project, I was placed on the bench—this is when things began to deteriorate. Despite internal job postings and visible matches for my skill set, there was no outreach or clear communication from the internal staffing team. I applied to roles myself, but received no response or follow-up. One major issue I observed was how rigidly employees were categorized into separate tech stacks (e.g., Microsoft or JavaScript), despite many of us having blended skill sets. This inflexible classification likely prevented me from being considered for relevant roles. The termination process itself was disappointing. I received a calendar invite for what appeared to be a regular one-on-one with my department. However, once I joined the call, an HR representative was also present—something not mentioned in the invite. This gave the impression of a pre-planned and deliberately concealed layoff discussion. What was most disheartening was the timing of my termination. Performance evaluations at NTT Data typically occur in June, with bonuses paid out at the end of that month. I had already received excellent feedback from my manager for my 2024 performance, and I was on track to receive a strong rating and performance bonus. But I was laid off on May 30—just weeks before the bonus cycle—and during my exit discussion, when I raised this concern, it was dismissed without consideration. They claimed there was no policy for performance-based bonus payouts post-termination, which felt like a tactic to avoid honoring earned rewards. In summary, while I contributed effectively during my time at NTT Data, the final months revealed a lack of transparency, a rigid internal structure, and actions that felt both unethical and disheartening—especially for those who had performed well and remained committed.