Making the Best of a Lay-Off

You walk into the office one day and everyone seems worried and nervous. The whole atmosphere is thick with tension. It doesn’t take you long to figure it out- lay-offs. So, is it you? Or the person in the office next to you, or someone on another floor? You’ll never really know until the fateful day arrives.

Lay-offs no longer bear the stigma they once did. Everyone now knows someone who has been laid off, or has at least heard of other people’s acquaintances that have been laid off. In the past lay-offs were reserved for the rare unproductive, troublesome employee that cost the company more money than he/she helped make, or the unethical, scheming employee that has been found out and must go before he/she causes any more damage. Nowadays, layoffs and downsizing say almost nothing about an individual but a lot about the company he works for and the industry he is a part of. The key to making it through a lay-off in a one piece is first and foremost acceptance, followed by clear thinking and action.

When we talk about lay-offs everyone thinks of the person who has just lost his/her job, as the sole victim and management suddenly become the bad guys. If we look at things clearly, everyone suffers when a company downsizes. Management has to go through the tough task of deciding who must go, and how he/she will be told. And that’s not a nice job! Very few top managers can actually decide on letting go of one or more of their employees without some sort of suffering. And what about the colleagues that are still in a job? No one stops to think of them. If you’ve ever been laid off, I am sure you will remember how people around you acted. They couldn’t look you in the eye; their voices are hardly louder than whispers and they do their best not to interact with you. They don’t really know what to say, and they feel very guilty that you were the one that had to go and not one of them. It is actually a shame that the focus is always on how to tell people that they are losing their jobs, but hardly anyone thinks of telling employees that they are losing a coworker!

And the only one who can actually make them feel better is you. How well you deal with the situation will directly affect how people around you adapt. If you lock yourself up in your office or the toilet and refuse to interact with anyone, then you can’t blame them for staying away and not knowing what to say. No one is denying you the right to feel upset or betrayed now that you’ve lost your job, but do try and be objective: your colleague had nothing to do with your losing your job because the economy is slow and the company is not doing so well, or because the company is re-structuring and doesn’t need you anymore. Express your anger at the situation, but make it clear that you are not bearing any unsubstantiated grudges. Whatever you do, don’t start questioning, why you had to go, and not the guy in the cubicle next to you/ When a decision to let someone go is taken and communicated to the individual in question, it is practically irrevocable, so don’t be bitter or entertain false hopes. Naturally, no one is asking you to be “positive” about the lay-off, but neutrality is not a bad idea. Accepting the new reality will, no doubt, reflect positively on your situation, giving you the ability to think clearly. 

When is the lay-off effective?
Is your resume updated and ready to send off to potential employers/recruiters? 
Do you have recommendation letters from the supervisor(s) you worked with? 
What will your bosses cite as the reason for letting you go, if asked by a potential employer?
Was there a potential job offer somewhere in the air a few months ago that you could re-visit? 
Do you know what to expect from your company in terms of severance / compensation?

It is best to direct your energies towards answering/tackling these issues as soon as possible. And, if you can put your co-workers at ease, that would be greatly appreciated. Give them a chance to share your grief, and possibly, help you out. Most of the time, your workmates will want to help in any way they can. It is their way of absolving themselves of the guilt they feel for having a job when you’ve just lost yours. Let them! Your contacts and those of the people around you are a gold mine now that you’re in the job search game again.