J’ai perdu mon travail à New York à cause d’une vidéo ?

Overview

A French volunteer in New York (under the “VI” program overseen by Business France) says he was removed from his position after an HR/management discovery of a YouTube video depicting a “day at work.”

What the volunteer describes

He explains that:

• The video received unexpected attention and positive feedback, including from colleagues and superiors.
• In the office portion of the video, he later received an instruction from HR to delete that segment and not film similar workplace content again.
• Although he cooperated and removed the content, about a month later, his manager’s manager called him and told him about “forced leave”—a break during which he was told not to return.
  • He frames this as a punishment.
  • He says it would lead to loss of income and, crucially for his immigration status, loss of his visa, effectively forcing him to go back home.

Emotional impact

Emotionally, he describes the situation as a major blow due to:

• the consequences for his visa, and
• the effort and sacrifice he made to come to New York.

To cope, he says he’s trying to make the most of his remaining time, including visiting museums.

Procedural and defensive response

He then shifts to the procedural aspects of his defense:

• He says the end of the assignment is not handled as a straightforward direct employer firing; it is mediated through Business France.
• He has 7 days to submit a defense file and plans to structure his response by:
  • reviewing his contracts,
  • listing the allegations,
  • auditing whether proper procedure was followed (arguing that any procedural failures would be the company’s responsibility),
  • checking for similar prior cases and testimonials.
• He claims he has already drafted a 22-page file with testimonials and plans to finalize and submit it.

Role of YouTube and message to viewers

Throughout, he reflects on how YouTube helped him emotionally since arriving in New York—helping build community and resilience during earlier difficulties.

He concludes that nothing is finalized yet, says he believes in his defense, and asks viewers for comments/support.

Presenters/Contributors

• Rami — the video’s main narrator/speaker (volunteer in New York)
• Business France — program/mediation body
• HR and management at the hosting company (unnamed individuals/roles)
• A friend who advised on procedures (unnamed)
• Viewers/commenters — audience support