Wow.
At my last company (a telecom that was going to hit it big with VOIP), we were all in high spirits in the middle of 2001, everything was going great, we were all getting pay raises "just because" (keeping up with the market) and one day we were all invited to an off-site meeting where the CEO was going to make a big rah-rah presentation followed by a reception.
As luck would have it, there was another party going on at the same time as our event. A farewell party for someone. "FAREWELL" banners were everywhere.
We all thought it was funny at the time, but it wasn't so funny 6 months later when I was hit in the first round of layoffs. It happened very quickly, too. My boss asked to see me, brought me to a meeting room where he and HIS boss sat at one end of a large table across from me. As soon as I walked in that door, in my heart I knew what was going to happen, even though my mind was still refusing to comprehend. I was handed an envelope, thanked for my service with the company (all 1.5 years of it as a new grad) and then ushered to the parking lot. That was it.
Up until that moment, I had always assumed that "two weeks notice" would involve me still working for two weeks, cleaning up, packing up, saying goodbye. It had never occurred to me that it could mean "we'll keep paying you for two more weeks, but you're out the door as of this very instant". I had to book an appointment to come back in and pick up my personal things, under security escort.
What was frustrating was, I *had* seen it coming, only I hadn't been willing to admit it to myself. Something had felt "wrong" for the past few months at work, even to the point I had resolved to myself to "step up my game" and try to impress people. And as for that big hoo-hah the CEO always put on? I was always cynical. The man was a brilliant speaker. Everyone always left those meetings cheering, clapping, excited, with visions of "we're #1, we'll take over the market, we're right on track, we'll all get rich"... I always left thinking, "Wait, no, something's not right here."
I guess I was right.
I found out that after I had left, they instituted pay freezes, cuts in many cases, and a few more rounds of layoffs shortly after.