Can I mention my product if I also share a layoff story?
No. The rules ban promoting an app, business, website, article, or social media account, and the moderators say there is no appeal for that ban.
Subreddit guides
r/Layoffs rules, stats, and what to post
A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/Layoffs: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.
By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.
Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.
Current public stats
- Members
- 187,437
- Verified
- September 27, 2026
- Category
- Career and salary communities
Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.
Rule summary
- Do not promote an app, business, website, medium or substack article, or social media account: This is already covered under No Spam but we're still banning multiple people a day promoting their vibe coded apps. Do not post it. This rule serves as your warning. There will be no appeal for this ban.
- Be respectful - This is a support community: This community exists to support people affected by layoffs. Civility is expected at all times. Do not come here to argue that layoffs are a good thing. These people have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Reports of discriminatory layoff practices by companies are allowed and exempt from this rule, as long as the criticism targets institutions, not individuals.
- Stay on Topic: All posts must be directly related to layoffs or the experience of being laid off. This subreddit is for serious discussions, support, and news related to layoffs. Off-topic posts will be removed.
- No Racism, Xenophobia: Zero tolerance. Racist, xenophobic, or otherwise denigrating comments or incitement will result in a ban and may be reported to Reddit Admins. Criticizing oligarchs and discussing the effects of offshoring jobs, exploiting work visas, or avoiding reinvestment is allowed. Blaming entire races or vilifying people seeking work and stability, just like you, is not.
- No Mocking the Laid Off or Unemployed: Cheering for layoffs and mocking people for being laid off or unemployed, circumstances often beyond their control, is mean-spirited and not allowed.
- Keep the political banter to a minimum: We understand that layoffs often intersect with politics, but this subreddit is not a political forum. Posts or comment threads that veer into unrelated political debates will be locked, as they derail productive conversation and distract from the purpose of supporting those affected by layoffs. If you want to discuss broader political topics, please take them to r/WorIdPoIitics or another relevant subreddit.
- No misinformation: Misinformation, the act of deliberately spreading false information or a biased news to sway the public opinion for one's personal agenda, is a bannable offense.
- No Spam, Low-Effort, or AI-Generated Content: Do not promote your own app, business, website, medium or substack article, or social media accounts. Submissions must provide value. No low-effort posts. No AI-generated content, including text or images. News posts must come from verifiable, reputable sources.
- Ban Appeals and Modmail Etiquette: If you've been banned and believe it was a mistake or if you’re sincerely remorseful you may contact the mod team via Modmail. Appeals must be civil, respectful, and show understand and remorse. Trolling, harassment, or provoking moderators in Modmail will result in a permanent ban with no appeal.
Works well
- A first person story about being laid off, what happened, and how you got through it, with no links and no product mentions.
- A plain text comment offering specific, practical job search or severance advice to someone who just posted about losing their job.
- A news post about layoffs from a verifiable, reputable source, shared without commentary that pushes your own agenda.
- A question asking the community for advice about your own layoff experience, which invites supportive discussion instead of a pitch.
Avoid
- Posting a link to your app, business, website, article, or social account, which gets you banned with no appeal under “Do not promote an app, business, website, medium or substack article, or social media account”.
- Publishing anything written or drawn by AI, since “No Spam, Low-Effort, or AI-Generated Content” bans AI text and images outright.
- Starting a post about a layoff trend that is really a pitch for your product, which trips both the promotion rule and “Stay on Topic”.
- Arguing that layoffs are good or mocking people who lost their jobs, which breaks “Be respectful - This is a support community” and “No Mocking the Laid Off or Unemployed”.
- Blaming entire races or groups of workers for offshoring or visa issues, which is a zero tolerance ban under “No Racism, Xenophobia”.
- Dragging threads into unrelated political debates, which gets them locked under “Keep the political banter to a minimum”.
What r/Layoffs Is For
This is a support community for people who have been laid off from their jobs. People come here to share their own layoff stories and to find resources while they go through a hard time. The rules describe it as a place for serious discussions, support, and news related to layoffs. So the room is mostly people who just lost a job, people bracing for one, and people offering help to those two groups. It is not a place to pitch anything, and the moderators say so in the strongest words I have seen on any subreddit.
Rules That Matter Before Posting
The rule that decides everything for a founder is “Do not promote an app, business, website, medium or substack article, or social media account”. It says the moderators are banning multiple people a day for promoting their own projects, and it warns that there will be no appeal for that ban. “No Spam, Low-Effort, or AI-Generated Content” repeats the promotion ban and adds that submissions must provide value, that low-effort posts are not allowed, and that AI-generated content, including text or images, is banned. “Stay on Topic” requires every post to be directly related to layoffs or the experience of being laid off. “Be respectful - This is a support community” sets the tone, because this is a place for people who lost their jobs, and civility is expected at all times. “No Mocking the Laid Off or Unemployed” and “No Racism, Xenophobia” draw hard lines around how you talk about people affected by layoffs. “Keep the political banter to a minimum” matters because layoffs often intersect with politics, and threads that veer into unrelated political debates get locked. “No misinformation” bans deliberately spreading false or biased information to sway opinion.
What To Post
For a founder doing respectful Reddit marketing, the honest answer is that this community is close to off limits for promotion, and the rules say so twice. The only post that survives here is one with no link, no product name, and no ask. If you have a genuine personal layoff story, meaning you were actually laid off and want to share what happened and what helped you, that fits the community perfectly. If you have real, practical advice for people job hunting after a layoff, written by you and not by AI, and offered with nothing to sell, that can work as a comment or a value-first post. If you want to discuss news about layoffs, it must come from a verifiable, reputable source. Anything that mentions your product, your site, or your newsletter will be removed, and repeated promotion gets you banned with no appeal.
What To Avoid
Do not post links to your app, business, website, article, or social media account, because that is a ban with no appeal here. Do not post anything AI-generated, including text, and do not post low-effort content. Do not post anything off topic, meaning anything not directly about layoffs or the experience of being laid off. Do not argue that layoffs are a good thing, do not cheer for layoffs, and do not mock people for being laid off or unemployed. Do not blame entire races or vilify people seeking work, even when discussing offshoring or work visas, because that is a zero tolerance ban. Do not drag threads into unrelated political debates, and do not spread false or biased information. If you ever do get banned and appeal, keep the modmail civil and respectful, because trolling or provoking moderators there becomes a permanent ban.
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Common questions about r/Layoffs
Can I use AI to help write my post?
No. The rules ban AI-generated content, including text, so write the post yourself.
What if my post is genuinely useful and not a pitch?
Only if it is directly about layoffs or the experience of being laid off, and only if it adds real value instead of promoting something.
Can I criticize a company for how it ran layoffs?
Yes, but only if the criticism targets institutions and not individuals, and you keep politics to a minimum.
What happens if I get banned by mistake?
The rules say sincere, civil appeals can go through Modmail, but trolling or provoking moderators there becomes a permanent ban.
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