Usually, we're told that being a hard and loyal worker is the way to go. Yet, sometimes, even being one can not be enough. For example, you might get laid off from a company without any warning the day you're celebrating your anniversary with them. Yes, this exact thing happened to today's OP -- a profitable worker for the company was laid off after she celebrated being on the job for a second year. And you can surely guess how she felt afterward -- crushed, as two year's worth of work was snatched from her.
More info: Reddit
Sadly, occasionally, even being one of the finest employees in the company might not save your job
Image credits: Antoni Shkraba (not the actual photo)
The woman gets invited to a meeting on her 2nd job anniversary, but she doesn't worry, as she feels secure in her position
Image credits: fauxels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov (not the actual photo)
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The meeting turns out to be a layoff announcement, making the woman lose all hope in company loyalty
Bored Panda reached out to the post’s author, who provided the additional context for the whole story, and Dr. Catherine Connelly from McMaster University for a deeper understanding of layoffs.
The post’s author recently celebrated 2 years on the job. And let’s just say that, very quickly, the celebration turned into a not-so-fun occasion. The night after the anniversary, the OP got an invite to a skip-level meeting.
A skip-level meeting is when a manager’s manager meets directly with a team member. Usually, these meetings are meant to advance communication between the leader and the whole team, not just their direct reports. So, after Googling revealed to the OP that this meeting was supposed to be just a chat with upper management, she decided not to worry.
She was always told how important she was, as she was the only one trained to look for and bring in new money. Naturally, she didn’t think there was anything particular to worry about: “I thought I was a valuable member of the company, and the same VP made sure I knew it each time we met.” The company was even making plans with her, so why worry, right?
The woman joined the skip-level meeting with excitement, but very soon, her excitement was crushed, as she was informed about being laid off. Without any warning, the OP lost access to everything she was signed into, and she lost all the work she had done for 2 years. The author described it as a “shocking and humbling experience.”
She added, “Looking back, I was very easily fooled. I believed everyone too blindly, and I definitely might be less trusting going forward. This was one of my favorite jobs, and I do admit [that] I did learn a lot, but I was too comfortable and did not have any plans lined up since I planned on staying for another year.”
Dr. Catherine Connelly explained that in cases when an employee isn’t unionized and they’re costing a lot to a company, even their excellent track record or seniority may not protect them from being laid off. Which, apparently, was the case for the post’s author.
The layoff didn’t only come as a surprise to the post's author. Not counting many people on LinkedIn, her direct supervisor didn’t even know about it until it happened, so she wasn’t able to stop it.
Yet now, when the OP looks back on the whole situation, she suspects financial troubles in the company. During the annual evaluation, there were no mentions of bonuses, but there was talk of the loss of clients and staff members being moved around between departments. Still, all these red flags weren’t enough for her to suspect the layoff.
Luckily, the woman has a good support system in her life, and they didn’t let her spiral into panic. She also had some ex-coworkers and other people who were laid off, who offered her help: “We went through all stages of grief together, from sadness, anger, to acceptance. That also helped me greatly in not feeling alone, and since we all shared the same experience and shock, it was a bonding experience as well.”
Many people in the comments showed very similar sentiments after being laid off -- feeling glum, losing hope in company loyalty, and having a hard time overall. What a lousy thing those layoffs are, right?
Image credits: Anna Shvets (not the actual photo)
Even so, the experience still took a toll on her: “I had to mentally tell myself that this wasn’t my fault, and I did nothing wrong to be put into this situation.”
Now, she is still looking for a job but not letting it consume her whole life: “I’m trying to not let this be a setback, and I’m hoping this mindset continues moving forward as the job search continues.”
So, it’s no wonder that the woman feels like she learned a harsh lesson here -- companies will kick you out heartlessly without any hesitation. “Now, looking back and when going forward, I don’t plan on showing as much loyalty to these companies. We really are just a number to them and nothing more. We are replaceable. Even those who appear as friends and mentors at work would toss you aside to better themselves and their jobs. I know not everyone is like that, but I’m definitely going to be more skeptical going forward.”
For people who are facing or fearing layoffs, Dr. Catherine Connelly proposed several practical steps.
First, update your resume every few months or so, no matter if there are any layoffs in the air: “Keep track of new skills that you have learned or projects that you led or participated in. A year after a project is complete, you may not remember the details, but those details may be what helps you to get your next job.”
Maintaining a professional network is also important, even if it can be quite difficult. But, in the end, if you end up needing to find a new job, it can be very useful to know people from outside of the company you have been laid off from.
Then, if you’re invited to a layoff meeting, Dr. Connelly advises you to “stay as calm as possible, even though it’s a really upsetting thing to go through. Try to find out as much as possible about your severance and what else is being offered, such as placement services.” After the meeting, a person can talk to a lawyer if they feel they could have been targeted due to being in a protected class, like parental or medical leave.
Then, according to Catherine, during the search for a new workplace, it’s important to not panic and make peace with the fact that it might take a while to find the right match: “Don’t take the first job that you are offered, and use the interview process to evaluate the potential employer just as much as they are evaluating you.”
She added that starting your own business in such a situation might not be the best idea for some, even though a lot of people say it is. After all, building a business from scratch requires a different skill set, which can cause a person to lose a lot of money.
As we said -- layoffs are a lousy thing. Losing the work you put so much effort into throughout the years can in no way feel good. And if, in the upcoming months, there will be more layoffs due to a recession, sadly, we'll be witnessing even more people losing hope.
Comments showcased that the woman isn't the only one who felt this way after the layoff. In fact, it's quite a common feeling
