Having been laid off due to downsizing, I think everyone should go through it at least once. Sure, the first time will leave you panic stricken, but you'll come out the other side with a lot more clarity about the employee-employer relationship.
You are disposable. Even the CEO is disposable (as I've seen many times). Once you realize that, you'll stop the BS about loyalty to your company. It's a business arrangement, nothing more. Your job is to get the most you can (money, experience - whatever floats your boat). If it no longer works for you, leave. They'd do the same to you.
What the first exposure to layoffs (whether you are or not) teaches you is to never be exposed in such a circumstance again. Make sure you have an exit strategy when your current company either goes down the toilet or they bin you. Companies have zero loyalty to you just as you should have zero loyalty to them. Walk when the opportunity arises that makes sense.
This is true. Employment for a lifetime is a thing of another historical moment. Now it's all temporary, you don't work your whole life in a company nor they assure you a job until you retire. So, in a way, you have to understand that you are disposable to the corporate machinery.
Also, this is terrible, I know, I don't like it either but it's the current instituional arrangement where we live. Still, being layoff is a burden because it shock your core values and make you doubt of your true self and worth. Some people can't get pass it.
I've worked at the same company for all 10 years of my career. The company has been through a few rounds of major layoffs that I've somehow survived. It has affected me in that, for one, I'm always afraid that if I ever stop being "indispensable" to whatever on-going projects that I'll be let go. For now instead I've been promoted to manager. The other way it affects me is it increases the work and responsibilities for those who stay on. We're constantly scrambling and understaffed so we always wish we had those people back. We have thin teams to support a giant product that a larger team of ex-employees wrote, while having to on-board the next round of cheap resources.
This is an important perspective to take. Getting laid off, for someone unfamiliar or unprepared, can be very scary. But I can honestly say that every time I've been laid off (4 times thus far...mostly back in the .com days when smaller companies either imploded or started trending that direction) has been beneficial to my career. The first few layoffs I was young and needed experience. Getting to experience as many different work environments and perspectives of senior engineers was hugely valuable. I saw both how to do things right and wrong and it helped me get to a senior level, both in ability and through getting pay bumps after each move.
My most recent layoff was hard personally, because I was leaving an amazing group of coworkers that I still consider friends. But it took me about a month to find another job, which ended up being a company that almost immediately got acquired. Beyond being pretty lucrative for me, the relationship with the CEO of that company has led to him now investing/advising my new startup.
It's natural that we panic a bit when circumstance takes the reins and starts to direct our lives. Being in control is just so much more comfortable. But when we learn to take a step back and see the full situation, layoffs can be a really good thing for a lot of people. Ideally, we'd all like to work at hugely successful companies. Having to look for a new job may not be ideal, but the worse situation is continuing to work at a company with limited prospects for success. Being in the group that's laid off first stings a bit, but it's usually better than being one of the the ones that's retained.
Great points, this is very much also true on my experience. Once the decision is made to lay off, often work is done to make sure that they don't use company resources to get their next job. It's quite accepted in business circles, but from the outside it really sounds heartless.
The number one thing I've learned from being laid off was never to trust your employer. Trust people, if they've shown to be trustworthy, but never, ever trust a company.
A company is not family, they're not your friend, and the perceived loyalty you think you've "earned" doesn't mean a thing if layoffs are coming.
Treat your employment as a business arrangement. You get a paycheck in exchange for labor. Nothing less, nothing more.
I've been laid off twice: once in 2007, again in 2014.
The first layoff was from a mid-sized company (150 employees). I didn't get much severance, but it wasn't a surprise since that company had competitive pressures they were not able to respond to. I had another job lined up and there was virtually no disruption.
The second time was from a large company (70,000+ employees). Severance was good and I found a job before it ran out in three or four months.
Both times resulted in good career moves for me. I was surprised at how long the job search took. Surround yourself with supportive people. Capitalism doesn't care about you. It's not a judgment on your humanity or ability as a developer.
The only thing your employer owes you what they are contractually obligated to owe you.
Almost every 10+ years a mega company buys the company I'm working for and lays off everyone. The first time I stayed on and didnt take the layoff with my group, was going to merge into the new company. Then after a year, was let go and didnt get the big layoff package, then my manager left.
Totally screwed out of a major layoff package as it was a year later, way past the laws for mass layoffs, was a mistake to stay on, they kept me long enough they only had to let me go under new terms, then promptly closed the group (me and my manager). I was the most senior and long term employee, they saved a bucket load to screw me over.
"Cut deep and cut once". Multiple rounds of layoffs is going to seed paranoia as well as hurt morale, so it's often better to over-do-it a little than end up with some of your best employees quitting because they're tired of wondering if they're next.
I've seen both in action, and while the large layoff is really nasty, the company can immediately start to look forwards into rebuilding rather than sitting in the "was it enough, who's next?" purgatory.
As a result, you're probably the first to go in a layoff scenario. Maybe it's not a problem for you but for many, it is tough to regain footing after getting axed.
3) Just because there was a round of layoffs doesn’t mean there will be more
4) But of course there may
5) But that is always the case, your job is never totally secure
6) If you do not already have a backup plan in place, thank the stars for the headsup to get started on that
7) A plan is a good antidote for anxiety, and in this case may consist of: savings, ability to lower expenses if needed, building and maintaining a professional network, being interview ready
8) Making a decision is another good antidote for anxiety. Decide to stay or decide to leave. If you stay and get laid off, use your plan.
I’m not sure I agree with the suggestion to quit and find another job simply because your company had layoffs. There is no guarantee the new place won’t have layoffs too.
If you don’t already have a network, you have a perfect opportunity to start one here by reaching out to keep in touch with some of the laid off folks.
I was laid off once. Got a call from my VP when I was on my vacation. It was an extremely painful experience since I had been repeatedly told that I was a good performer and was critical to the team. I used that as an opportunity to reevaluate how I was operating and swore to make myself as valuable as possible. Also, I started keenly observing how the business was doing and jumped before layoffs happened. Today, I'm in a senior middle management role but still operating very cautiously and taking nothing for granted.
I have been at factories that closed (when I worked as a manufacturing engineer), and worked at an IT department that was eliminated (its functions spread among several other departments), and have been told that I, in particular, was done because the company's contract wasn't working out to be as profitable as expected (unspoken, but understood, was that as the senior programmer I was the most expensive one).
I think the first time is the hardest, because of the feeling of panic and also rejection. Later in life, I actually had much more to worry about (wife and kid to support), but experienced much less stress because I knew that I had gotten jobs before, and could do so again.
I think some of this may be that the first time, you have less of an idea of what you need to be doing next. The more of a plan/procedure you have in mind for what to do, the more you can focus on that, and not any emotional impact of what you think about the fairness or correctness of the decision to lay you off.
In truth, for me, being still at work after a layoff or firing of co-workers is much more depressing, but I'm sure that's not true for everyone.
Sure, depending on the circumstances. Had a friend just start back at a company in a different city after leaving for a couple years. He left mainly because of a bad manager the first time. That wasn't being laid off, but it's similar.
Sometimes companies need to do layoffs to survive, or they merged and have duplicate roles. Lots of reasons. It makes sense to take care of good talent that have to be let go in case they come back later.
Been laid off three times with the same company. Joined right when they started a decade long downsize process. Lay offs, 1.5 years of getting used to the new structure, then another set of lay offs. Leaving the company meant starting my green card process over again, so I got rehired each time.
First time? Panic. Third time? Meh.
You realize it’s not personal at all. Some consultants make some recommendation treating thousands of people as just numbers.
Realized that layoffs REALLY mess up a company’s productivity. Even if you weren’t cut, you start to think “fuck this company”.
In the long run it completely eliminated any loyalty to my employer. It’s just business. If something better comes along, I wouldn’t hesitate to leave.
Once you're gone in a company, you're gone - it tends to be that only the closest relationships will stick around, and everyone who you were moderately close with doesn't stick around.
I've had people who I've had mutually enjoyable interactions for years suddenly just stop talking entirely upon a layoff. Its in fact pretty common, I'd have to say.
> You're saying that the moment someone gets laid off you are justified in losing all respect for and trust of that person if you're still on the team? I have to believe people aren't that cruel in general.
Not at all what I meant! I meant the relationship between employee and employer (or manager) turns on a dime, if not only are they told you're laid off, but also immediately all of your badges and access are gone. Suddenly the place you feel like you've belonged is treating you like a trespasser or criminal and not to be trusted to even have door access.
Massive layoffs are not good for the people who remain at the company. It is a major drag on overall morale, and how does one who survives round one of layoffs ever have any piece of mind that s/he won't be next?
You are disposable. Even the CEO is disposable (as I've seen many times). Once you realize that, you'll stop the BS about loyalty to your company. It's a business arrangement, nothing more. Your job is to get the most you can (money, experience - whatever floats your boat). If it no longer works for you, leave. They'd do the same to you.
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