Layoffs - Part 2: How To Move Forward If You Were On the Hit list and How to Handle Survivors Guilt If You Weren’t

Did you know that 40% of Americans have been laid off or terminated from a job at least once in their careers, and 28% of Americans have been laid off in the past two years alone?

For this second part of our layoff special, we discuss what the experts suggest you do to better cope with being let go and how to successfully move on to your next professional chapter. While things may seem quite gloomy at the time (and you might find yourself binging heart-wrenching Adele and Radiohead playlists), there is light at the end of the tunnel. We also tackle what happens to the employees that don’t get cut –– those employees considered “the lucky ones,” who are left picking up the pieces of downsizing. We all know that with a layoff, we lose people we admire and respect: colleagues, work BFFs, mentors, (and sometimes even bosses), yet many times we’re expected to turn the page immediately, take on additional work, and be grateful we still have a job.

Meanwhile, managers don’t have it easy either: they’re in charge of corporate cheerleading, doing their best to motivate and reassure a team that is emotionally distressed, sad, and anxious about the future.

The emotional aftermath of a layoff affects everyone, so the more all the involved parties know about how to best cope with this difficult situation, the better prepared we are for a positive outcome. 

 HIGHLIGHTS

• 1:50 Facing the difficult moment of being laid off
• 3:17 What experts say are the best things you can do to move forward after being laid off
• 23:55 Dealing with the after math of a layoff when you’re the employee left behind picking up the pieces. 
• 38:25 Tips for management to handle employee morale after a layoff. 

SOURCES

• How to Bounce Back After Being Laid Off - HBR
• Coping with Layoff Survivor Sickness - Monster
• How to Cope When Your Close Coworker is Laid Off (And Your Still Employed) - Fast Company
• How to Support Your Remaining Employees After a Layoff - HBR
• How to Help Your Employees Overcome Survivor Guilt After a Layoff - Forbes

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