Working your whole career at one company can be great for many people, but you really have to be careful. Companies are not loyal to their employees, no matter how long they have been there.

What would you do if you had worked for a hospital for 26 years, but shortly after a new CEO started, you got fired in a 45-second meeting because you weren’t hand-picked by them?

That is what happened to the man in this story, and now he is feeling numb to the whole situation.

This type of story is a great reminder that employees always need to do what is in their own best interest, since the company will never put them first. Read the full story below to see exactly what happened.

Got fired today after 26 years

I worked at a small hospital in a rural area and worked my way up from entry level to upper management over the past 26+ years.

Nobody is too important to get fired.

I read the posts here, but I thought my situation was different. I thought I was different.

I was running multiple projects and supervised several clinical departments effectively (at least that’s what I thought).

The new CEO only wants his hand-picked team.

We had a new CEO come in about a year ago and I was the only member of the admin team that he didn’t pick himself, yet I still thought my situation was different and I was safe.

Today, in a mere 45 seconds, he told me I wasn’t working out and he was making a change to the leadership team. After 26 years, my career ended in 45 seconds.

This is good advice that everyone should hear.

So, I sit here tonight admitting that I was stupid and naïve. I never thought it would happen to me, but it did.

If you think it won’t happen to you, don’t be too sure.

You have to feel bad for this guy.

Guy in mid-50’s looking for a job… It happened a couple hours ago and I feel completely numb. I have chills.

Not sure what to do or where to turn. Sorry to be a downer but I’m alone and needed to vent to someone. Thanks for listening. I’m going to bed.

Employees always need to keep in mind that they are just a number to the company. There is no loyalty on the company’s side, so the employees should act just the same.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a hotel guest who complained about noise from an event, then reported the employee who agreed with him.

Read on to see what the people in the comments think about this situation.

Things will work out in the end.

Sadly, this seems to be true.

This commenter offers some great advice.

Losing a job is a terrible feeling. Things will, however, get better.

Don’t help them for free. If they need you, they can pay you.

Companies know no loyalty, and employees need to remember that. When a new CEO or other manager comes in, they often like to shake things up, even when things are running smoothly.

It never makes sense, but they just keep doing that type of thing. Sadly, employees generally don’t have any type of power to do anything about it.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a bus driver who is sick and tired of covering everyone else’s weekend shifts.