Recruitment Betrayal

My co-worker and I were both in talent acquisition—she focused on sales and account management, while I specialized in technical recruitment. We were good friends and talked regularly, often speaking on the phone at least once a day and frequently sharing Instagram reels and WhatsApp messages throughout the day.

Over the Christmas break, I did a lot of reading and became concerned about the direction our company was heading. It’s a private-equity-acquired firm, and I had come across stories and complaints—both from articles and candidates I screened—about PE firms engaging in "pump and dump" strategies, lack of accountability, and mass layoffs. When I shared these concerns with her, she went quiet for the weekend.

When we returned to work on Monday, something felt off during our virtual meetings. Later that day, I was called into a meeting with the CHRO and Director of HR, where I learned she had shared our private conversation with them. She claimed she was concerned about my mental health.

I was told that any form of retaliation would result in immediate dismissal and that I couldn’t bring the matter up again or share my side of the story. Although I wasn’t fired, I was required to take a week off to “reflect,” come back with an action plan, and start attending weekly meetings with the Director of HR and bi-weekly meetings with my boss.

Am I wrong for being really angry about this