We have all heard that layoffs can sometimes be a silver lining and push us to make changes we weren’t ready for or set boundaries with future employers. They can also be traumatic and life-changing and crush our self-esteem. Many articles are out there about how to spot when a layoff is coming and what to do in the following days. This article is for those who did the layoffs or were left behind.
Please don’t minimize what you went through - it is awful, and being left behind when your friends or valued colleagues were shown the door is messy.
If you were the one to lay people off, lean on your own supports; this is a horrible time, and it’s a lonely space. Accept that your team wants to hear from you and may need time to consider trusting you again - humanize their experience and give them room to sense make what happened. Don’t tell people to get over it and not use it as an excuse to miss deadlines (0/5 recommend that for team dynamics)
If you’re unsure whether to reach out to someone impacted, consider that hearing from you may be a sensemaking tool for the person laid off. So often, the abrupt shift in circumstance can be profoundly lonely. So reach out; they can always choose not to respond if it's too difficult, and your contact info will often be helpful when they job hunt again.
As tempting as it is, please don’t gossip, speculate, or start rumours. Instead, honour the absent, those impacted are likely devastated, and often we fear what others must be saying, so your professionalism in these moments will set you apart.
Take your vacation and time off as planned; you are not responsible for doing everyone’s work or not being seen as committed. Let the layoff remind you great people can lose roles without any reason beyond the cost centre they fell under. Grant yourself permission to care for yourself and spend time with the people and places you love.
Being impacted by a layoff does not define you, and it takes time to heal from - be gentle with yourself and others navigating this space.
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