Recovering from “Layoff Survivor Sickness”
Congratulations! You survived a round of layoffs at your company and you are still at your desk while others are cleaning theirs out. You should be relived. So why do you feel so bad, like you were laid off yourself?
These feelings experts say are normal. They even have a name for it: “layoff survivor sickness”. Symptoms may include guilt, fear and anxiety that often leads to sinking morale and a decline in productivity.
When certain members of a team are let go, the usual first reaction of those left behind is sheer panic. They spend every day wondering when their turn is coming and their psyche and work begins to suffer.
A better way to deal is to plan in advance what you would do if your pink slip did arrive one morning. Put away a little more in the savings account each week; cut a few unnecessary expenses now instead of later; evaluate what your marketable skills are; and investigate the job market that is realistically available to you should need to jump back into it.
Many people who are left behind after a series of layoffs find themselves drowning in extra work. In many cases the people may be gone but, the work is still there. If you find yourself unable to cope with an unreasonably heavy new workload discuss your concerns with your supervisor before, you become labeled as inefficient and unproductive.
You will recover from “layoff survivor sickness” faster if you are confident in the work that you do regardless of where you are doing it. Doing so will help you to maintain your identity and confidence in your professional abilities.
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