There are a few things in life that create an absolutely unique physio-emotional response. For me, they include blue lights in the rear view mirror, “we need to talk,” and… well I can’t summarize the context of getting laid off. In my experience it has been prefaced by everything ranging from “Let’s get together this afternoon and talk over a few things,” to “Do you have $50,000 you could invest?”
It feels like mental shell shock. Almost like you detach from the world, and you are still as it moves around you. The world packs your box, the world mumbles goodbye to the co-workers you liked, the world manages to open your car door, and you watch as a passenger, a paralyzed observer. And like a knocked out cartoon character, your responsibilities circle your head, bleating.
Eventually, hopefully, you do awake. You get out your pen and paper, write down your real expenses, what you need just to get by, and you realize this might not be ideal, but you can do it. It is going to be OK.
The question is: Is it better to be the one laid off, or the one left behind? And I can guarantee, there is no across-the-board answer. But as an unemployed person, I think simply having the conversation helps me to broaden my perspective and audaciously choosing to be continually grateful.
Laid Off
Let’s start things off on a positive note. Whether you wanted it or not, getting laid off leaves you with a lot of time on your hands, and it is time that some people use to reinvent themselves. A classic example of this is the movie Lemonade. Do yourself a favor and watch this trailer. Lemonade is a movie about 16 advertisers who lost their jobs and got creative with their lives. Whether going into business for themselves or changing careers entirely, these people chose to turn layoffs into opportunity. (Trailers are rarely this inspiring, so you know my copy of the DVD is on the way!)
The soul-sucking unfulfilling job is not a rarity, but our responsibilities weigh heavily upon us. Fear is a tether, with our goals and potential taunting from beyond strained fingertips. Perhaps the stroke of the hatchet was merciful for you. I know it was for me.
But it is insensitive to fail to acknowledge that these sentiments are often unwelcome. Many in the Unemployed Marketers Group were let go of jobs they adored, others may have families so large that a loss of income is an immediate danger. Still others don’t have resources that can withstand career reinvention. For many, with very good reason, it is difficult to see any light or opportunity.
Left Behind
With all the pain of losing your job, some very surprising research has been carried out that examines those who are left behind after company layoffs.
A team of researchers studied Boeing for 10 years between ’96 and ’06. The researchers serendipitously began their work around the period that Boeing axed 33% of their workforce.
Researchers found that those left behind were twice as depressed as those who were let go. They were more likely to binge drink and develop chronic health problems. Those let go were happier overall, even in new jobs that paid less. Most frighteningly, other research has shown that over-stressed workers are twice as likely to suffer heart attacks. Those left behind at Boeing often fit this bill, whether it was waiting for the shoe to drop on the next round of layoffs, or the extra work they had to take on. The fear that if they showed the wear and tear of doing three people’s jobs, perhaps they would be the next to go.
When left behind, you are saddled with the pressure of “at least you still have a job.” But life is not as it once was. Now you’re expected to smile though your close friends are gone, taking with them stores of institutional knowledge, and you are stuck with their work. Stress management experts say that this kind of environment puts a person in a constant fight or flight mode. Adrenaline and cortisol can aid in a speedy retreat, but overtime they are toxic to your body, sapping away sleep and immune system vulnerabilities.
The majority of this info comes from this article, but it is also a very interesting read to look over the comments on a Tampa Bay blog that asks readers to weigh in on whether there’s a silver lining in getting laid off.
How about you? What are your thoughts? How have you done your best to push forward?
