WFH Employee Fired After Company Monitors Laptop Activity, Claims “No One Will Hire Me

Suzie Cheikho, a 38-year-old work-from-home (WFH) employee, recently disclosed that she was terminated from Insurance Australia Group after serving for 18 years. The termination followed a formal warning in November 2022 regarding her performance and output. She was fired on February 20 for not meeting deadlines, missing meetings, and failing to complete important tasks.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) discovered that she frequently did not work her scheduled hours, arrived late, and left early on many days, and there were even days when she did not work at all, according to her online activity. During a formal review meeting, Ms. Cheikho expressed disbelief in the data but failed to provide any evidence to the contrary. In a written response, she attributed her performance decline to personal issues and mental health challenges, as well as an injury, and pledged to make up for lost time due to medical appointments.

A month later, Ms. Cheikho claimed that the company had a “premeditated plan to remove her from the business and that she was targeted due to her mental health issues.” She now relies on welfare support and has received her final payment from the company. Her situation has unexpectedly propelled her into the role of a micro-influencer, with nearly 8000 followers on TikTok, and she uses this platform to raise awareness about mental health issues.

Despite her fear of never being hired again, Ms. Cheikho remains hopeful and endeavors to utilize her online presence and advocacy for mental health to support herself financially.