Despite Being Sacked from Microsoft after 23 Years, Man Continues to Show up at Office, Explains Why

• In May, 59-year-old Freddy Kristiansen was laid off from his work as a principal product manager at Microsoft's Denmark office after 23 years
• Kristiansen, originally hired by Navision in 2002 before its Microsoft takeover, still shows up at the office, and has shared why he does so
• While some of his colleagues were devastated and worried for the future because of the dismissal, the man said he feels relieved

Freddy Kristiansen, a former principal product manager at Microsoft's office in Denmark, has continued to show up to work despite being laid off in May.

The 59-year-old spoke with Business Insider and opened up about how he felt when he was sacked and why he still comes to work.

Why sacked Microsoft employee still shows up

While confirming that Kristiansen was sacked, Business Insider reports that he is still officially an employee of Microsoft until the end of November due to a Danish law.

As per the law, given that he was an employee for over nine years, he has a six-month notice period and is entitled to three months of severance pay after his notice.

Kristiansen, who was initially hired by Navision in 2002 before its takeover by Microsoft, said he still shows up at the office to support his former clients and colleagues.

"A couple of weeks ago, after 23 years at Microsoft, I was laid off. Yet here I am, back in the office.

"It might sound strange to show up at the office after being let go, but I still feel committed to the products, the people using them, and my colleagues," he said.

While admitting that he was relieved about the layoff, his colleagues were devastated and worried about the future.

"Some of my colleagues were devastated. They are worried about what the future might hold. But I'm nearing 60. For the past decade, I've worked very hard and put in long hours. However, I'm at the stage of life where I'm no longer interested in working 60-hour weeks.

"It felt like the right time to finally pursue my long-overdue dream of doing work on my own terms," he said.

Freddy Kristiansen's story generates mixed reactions

Legit.ng has compiled some reactions to Freddy's story below:

Ben Michael said:

"All the people who didn't read the article thinking their comments are accurate 😆

"He got laid off, per Danish law he has 6 months notice so despite him no longer having official duties he is still an employee.

"What he is doing is laying the groundwork for his new business by showing he is committed to the projects he works on, even when he has every right to just bug.ger off.

"His name will get mentioned, people will remember him. Its honestly a great choice on his behalf. Its win win. He loses nothing and gains a lot."

Roxann Weir said:

"So basically he is looking for his Swingline stapler even after the Office burned down, and now he lives in the Wallpaper on the system!"

Indru Maiorescu said:

"Plot twist: Everybody at Microsoft was laid off, they're still going to the office due to inertia. :))."

Colin Silveira said:

"Must be an American...and there must be free drinks and snacks at the office cooler."

Sunny Koch said:

"Well, Mr Lumbergh told him to speak to Payroll and then Payroll told him to speak to Mr Lumbergh."

Gytis Urbanavičius said:

"His new employer, Apple, also doesn't mind him keeping access to internal Microsoft networks 😆😆."

Bill Roberts said:

"How's he getting in?

"Having worked for a large corporation (Boeing) I find it difficult to believe Microsoft would allow a non-employee in their offices without an esc.ort."

In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a Nigerian man working in the UK on a Tier two visa had lost his job and sought help to secure a new sponsorship.

Man sacked after sharing plan with colleague

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian man who worked as a cleaner in the UK got sacked after sharing his plan with his colleague.

According to the man, on his first day at work, his supervisor, who is an African woman, asked about his background and he happily told her he was doing a master's programme in cybersecurity.

The man even told her he was doing the cleaning job for a while before he got a good job in his field. He said that the woman reported what he said to their manager, and he was later sacked.

Source: Legit.ng