Employers like to remind us that we’re replaceable, but don’t enjoy it when we react accordingly.

Most people in the working world learn sooner or later that most of the time, it is not interested in acting in our best interests. When making a profit is the bottom line, things like providing a dignified employee experience fall low on the list of priorities. Anybody who is a part of the corporate world is nothing more than a number on a spreadsheet to somebody above them in the professional pecking order.

Still, many bosses do an OK job of hiding this unpleasant fact until you are no longer useful to them. It means that the switch-up can come as even more of an unpleasant surprise. The reality is, a lot of companies will happily get rid of employees if they think that they can get the same work for a lot cheaper. It is a hurtful experience for even the most cynical of employees to go through, not least because they have to deal with the job market again (and potentially have the same thing happen afterwards). In these situations, most people want nothing more than a clean break so they don’t have to deal with too many painful memories.