Counsellor Shivani Misri Sadhoo throws light on how mangers can help employees to cope with the current scenario of mass layoffs in the corporate world
Mass layoffs are becoming alarming, expert Shivani Misri Sadhoo shares tips on how managers can help employees to cope with it
Mass layoffs are not just financial losses as it generates insecurity, fear, pain, and anxiety. The intensity of these negative and harmful emotions depend on person to person as per their personal conditions like - financial background, family conditions, age and lack of skill update, etc. In many cases, these mental pressure turns fatal and it can lead to physiological issues like depression, suicidal feelings, high blood pressure and heart issues. Hence if someone is passing through a job loss situation, he/she must first consider three points:a.
Job loss during an economic downturn is part of the changing employment landscape, it 'does not' reflect the person’s work or worth. b. A mass layoff is caused by an external factor – but, getting self-paranoid, concluding that layoff means the "end of the world for me" are selfdeployed punishments. c. Remember letting yourself get fearful, paranoid, losing hope, thinking about the condition again and again, may cause more damage to you. It may put you in a serious illness that would add to financial burdens and limit your chances of getting a new job.
After accepting the above-mentioned reality, the person should work on to cope with the situation:-
DON’T PANIC
The moment rumors or hints of layoff are out, panic starts in an organization. People go into deep insecurity, fear and generally the internal organisational communication goes haywire. In such a condition, managers should first emphasise on not to let himself/herself get panicked, secondly should tell their team that layoffs happen due to industry and organizational situations and to a large extent employees are not responsible for their own layoff under mass layoff conditions. A manager should motivate his/her team not to presume the worst possible outcome as some of them may still be working with the organization, so it's important to focus on their work and invest their emotions in updating their resumes and searching for a new job, if required .
CREATE A SUPPORT TEAM
When a person is on a layoff, he/she should seek help, whether it comes from family and friends, former co-workers or a professional counsellor as it's an important part of the healing process. Learn to be your best pillar of support. At first, the person may feel ashamed or afraid to share the news about being laid off. They may not want to tell their family as they fear about being judged by them.
However, it is utmost important to be openly communicative and try not to hide things and keep secrets from family. Sharing with family and friends will help the person lighten up and get the support that will help to check stress and anxiety of a layoff, which can lead to depression.
FOCUS ON SKILL UPGRADATION
Instead of wasting time and emotions on crying and being fearful, invest your thinking faculties to read and learn about industry trends, try to understand what are the new skills that would be required in future in your professional area. Utilise your free time to learn new skills and upgrade them in your resume. Most importantly, don’t bound yourself, if the business sector that you have been working is gradually in decline, then move onto new areas – remember one can earn living by putting a small scale industry , self-entrepreneurship and it's never late to start again.
A manager should motivate his/ her team not to presume the worst possible outcome