January 18, 2025 at 4:48 am

‘I got fired from my job over a white elephant exchange.’ – People Can Lose Their Jobs For All Sorts Of Reasons, But This TikToker Has A Crazy And Likely Illegal Story To Tell

by Michael Levanduski

Source: Shutterstock Source: TikTok/@loulouorange

Workplace Christmas parties can be a lot of fun, especially when you play games like a white elephant gift exchange.

What would you do if you took the best prize in the white elephant exchange, and your boss fired you for it? That’s what happened to this TikToker, check out the story.

She starts things out while walking down a street, and she says, “I got fired from my job over a white elephant exchange. I’m actually in shock right now. We have like a $30 upper limit on white elephant gifts. But some random guy from HR of all places brings in a PS5.”

Source: TikTok/@loulouorange

Wow, that is quite a gift. She goes on to say what happens, “So, the first person takes the PS5, the second person steals it. By the way, we have a three-steal limit. So the person after that, which would be the second steal, is my boss’s boss and he’s like VP level.”

Honestly, someone at that level shouldn’t need the big gift anyway.

Source: TikTok/@loulouorange
Things go on, with a few people not stealing it (likely due to not wanting to upset the boss). Then it is her turn, she explains, “So, it gets to me and I take the PS5 because guess what, I’m going to resell it. I don’t make $700k base salary.”

I certainly can’t blame her for that.

Source: TikTok/@loulouorange
After she gets the prize, things go downhill quick. She says what happens, “At the end of the day I got called in and I’m being quote unquote, laid off.”

Wow. I’m not sure that is even legal.

That boss should be in trouble for this.

Make sure to watch the whole video to get the full story, it is pretty crazy.

You can see the video here:

@loulouorange

I need the legal side of TikTok to help me get my bag bc there’s ZERO WAY this is fair #whiteelephant #whiteelephantgift #office #job #laidoff #fired #unemployed #boss

♬ original sound – Louisa Melcher

Read the comments as well.

This person says she can sue.

Source: TikTok/@loulouorange

Here is someone who says to call HR right away.

Source: TikTok/@loulouorange

Now this commenter has a great idea.

Source: TikTok/@loulouorange

That boss is way past out of line.

Now that you’ve read that story, check out this one about a delivery driver who took a $400 grocery order back because she wasn’t given a tip.

Senior Contributing Editor, Workplace & Community

Michael Levanduski is a veteran journalist and digital culture specialist with over 15 years of professional writing and research experience. While his background spans emerging technology and complex technical subjects, Michael specializes in analyzing workplace ethics, property disputes, and viral interpersonal dynamics across modern digital forums.

Since joining TwistedSifter in 2024, Michael has authored some of the publication’s most widely read coverage on corporate policy, malicious compliance, and neighborhood relations. Rather than simply aggregating online debates, he brings rigorous research, organizational context, and an empathetic editorial voice to everyday human dilemmas—transforming raw forum discussions into insightful, highly engaging narratives.

When he isn’t covering internet culture, Michael enjoys traveling, keeping up with tech trends, and spending time with his family. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn and Facebook.