The only thing worse than public speaking? Public speaking … only to get fired moments later.


This nightmare scenario was a reality for now-former YouTube Music employee Jack Benedict, who headed before the Austin City Council on Thursday to ask if members of the local government would help their organizing efforts.



“There are less than 50 of us at YouTube Music and we are taking [sic] two of the largest corporations in the world,“ Benedict told the committee. “So to be supported by the city of Austin also our allies in the labor community gives us the motivation to keep this fight going.”


Yet this impassioned speech quickly proved moot, one of Benefitct’s colleagues approaching the podium with some pressing bad news.


“Not to interrupt but they just laid us all off,” she replied, tears visibly welling up in her eyes. “Our jobs are ended today effective immediately.”


“Wow,” Benedict replied in tandem with the bell denoting his time.


We can only hope these guys got one hell of a severance package … and get to work for non-holes next time.