She was heartbroken after getting laid off. Then she saw Gmail’s reply prompt and burst out laughing

Who says losing a job and the uncertainty that comes along with it is easy to face? The sudden loss of financial stability makes even the strongest people feel helpless. While many find themselves stuck in the loop of self-doubt and identity crisis, others immediately prepare themselves to rebuild their future from scratch. However, amidst the tension and anticipation of the future, only a few learn to adapt, turning their grief into opportunities and setbacks into comebacks. Julia Galek (@itsjuliagalek on TikTok) is one such tough woman who, surprisingly, turned her most vulnerable situation into a rib-tickling memory, proving that good laughter can solve every problem.

In May 2025, Julia received an official email informing her that she was being laid off due to budget constraints. In that moment, disappointment took a backseat as something else, in particular, had Julia and everyone else on the internet in stitches. In response to the layoff email, Google's Smart Reply feature in Gmail came up with three unexpectedly witty responses: 'Ugh,' 'Thank you for letting me know, and 'No problem.' Julia zoomed into the 'Ugh' option as she struggled to suppress her laugh. "But like… should I?" she wrote in the caption, asking if she should actually go ahead with the quirky auto-response. 

"I thought it was funny because I was expecting to see the other suggestions, but not ugh. It was exactly what I was thinking, and I wish I could've sent that, but I chose to stay professional instead," Julia shared with Newsweek.  With the ever-changing market scenario, layoff, unfortunately, has become increasingly common across different industries. As per a shocking report by Crunchbase News tally, around 95,667 workers in U.S.-based companies have lost their jobs in 2024.

The hilarious TikTok video quickly went viral, receiving an overwhelming response on social media, leaving netizens in stitches.  Meanwhile, reacting to Julia's video, @missclarissam revealed, "When I gave my notice to leave my job, I made it my second job to respond with the most unhinged 'reaction' emojis to every email." Similarly, @benjiandfrankie shared, "I would respond professionally but leave a P.S. and a screenshot of that because hopefully the humor and grace will get you the good reference."

@runreallyfast111 wrote, "Only valid response is, 'Enjoy my wages as your bonuses for the quarter; it’s not like you need employees anyway.'" @yazmincore revealed, "That’s the proper response to someone who laid you off via email and ended with offering to set up a call to discuss. This should have been a call followed up by an email. Ugh!" @__.__.__008 said, "That’s the most perfect response! I was laid off last Friday. I wish I had thought to reply with 'ugh.'"

On the other hand, @stanley_the_corgi suggested, "100% yes. Do it. You’ve been laid off. What are they going to do? Fire you more? Reply to every email you receive from them from this point on with AI autosuggestions." @lauryngale3 revealed, "I dropped my cat off, and the vet tech sent me a picture and a pre-surgery update. Google suggested 'Have fun!' as a response, and I couldn't stop laughing!" @theothertomelliott wrote, "LinkedIn suggests that to me for rescheduling meetings. It’s the period at the end that really sets the tone."

You can follow Julia Galek (@itsjuliagalek) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.