How to survive layoffs at work - advice from a psychologist. After layoffs, people find better jobs! Depression during layoffs at work

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When you devote yourself to your work, your organization for a long time, then in the event of layoffs, layoffs or other problems, you can very easily fall into depression or stupor. But this can be dealt with, and most importantly, it must be dealt with.

Downsizing at work

The main problem of all innocent layoffs is that they ask the question: “Why me?” and get stuck in one place, in one emotional state. This cannot be allowed. Work is something intangible and changeable. There is none now, but in half an hour there may be a lot of it.

Tip #1 – change your attitude towards the situation and the situation will change.

Many people need a considerable amount of time to recover after being fired, and only then begin to look for another job. This is not a mistake, but you should try to reduce this time. And even better - at this very time, take care of yourself: relax, recuperate, communicate with loved ones, and then immediately look for something to do so as not to waste the positive charge.

One way to find a new job is through the labor exchange. But when they come there, everyone expects offers equal to the previous position, salary and status in general. The opinion of psychologists is that you should not expect the same and do not settle for less. Perhaps a job that you are not ready to consider because of the low salary or the unattractiveness of the position will turn out to be an impetus that will help you achieve something more.

If there are no offers or you deliberately did not go to the exchange, then perhaps it is worth remembering your favorite activities (be it knitting, music, cross-stitching or something else). Perhaps this is the key to your success? It is worth considering this in more detail for yourself.

Don't give up and give up on your career and life. Everything changes, everything depends on you, everything is in your hands.

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You get fired and it seems like you're the worst. How to deal with this feeling?

When a person is fired, his qualities depreciate. It seems to him that he is no longer capable of anything and that no one needs him. But this is not true at all. A person leaves a job no longer so prosperous and successful, otherwise there would be no layoffs there. And what prospects can your bosses offer you if they are unable to pay you a salary? Think you have a chance to find a better job. Every person has strengths that can be put to better use elsewhere.

— What should those who have worked in one place for many years do, and are fired? The team in which you have worked for many years is a second family for you, and it is very difficult to leave it, - Tatiana continues.- After leaving work, you need to try to maintain relationships with colleagues: meet, call them. This will allow you to feel that it was not in vain that you worked these ten to twenty years with that team. Try to take the positive experience that you gained at your previous job: perseverance, the ability to find a common language with people.

If your colleague is fired, tell him that you have always appreciated and respected his work and will continue to maintain a relationship with him. Quitting a job often gives a person a great boost to their career. The main thing is not to regret your past work and move on.

What exactly can you advise a person who has been laid off? The most important thing when you are fired is to try to contain your emotions. Very often in such a situation, a person has a desire to blame everyone for this: the employer, colleagues, acquaintances... But this is the wrong way of defense, which will lead nowhere. You need to stop and think about how to live further. Dismissal is also a reason for reflection for those people who do not like their job. And such workers make up about 10%. They are not in their place, but because of their complexes they are afraid of losing it: “What if others don’t appreciate me?”, “How will I feed my family?” They need to collect their thoughts and understand that the time has come to make drastic decisions. The remaining 90% who were laid off due to financial problems need to try to calm down and understand three important things. First, set yourself the goal of finding a job. Second, believe in yourself. Every person should know his own worth, because he was hired for a job for a reason, but for certain knowledge and merit. And third, stop scaring yourself with obstacles. If the first attempt to find a job was unsuccessful, this does not mean at all that such an employee is not needed anywhere else.

Under no circumstances should you panic and assume that along with your work experience at your previous place of work, your life ends. Here you need to maintain a positive attitude, believe in the best: there is no money now, but it will appear soon; there is no work - I will look and find it. Second: you need to remember what activities you liked once upon a time, maybe in your youth or even in childhood. Perhaps a forgotten hobby will become the basis for a profitable business. You need to set yourself a goal - to do something “perfectly” - just as a matter of principle.

Today there are labor exchanges. Often a laid-off worker, coming to the labor exchange, expects to be given the same thing - the same status, the same income. Not everyone wants to learn something new. Here it is important not to be afraid of a low position, the “low prestige” of work, not to be afraid to start small, from the basics. And this is a big problem for many people. When a person considers some very modest, low-status job unacceptable for himself, he continues to slow down his personal development. But the spiritual development of a person is precisely characterized by the ability to overcome difficulties and endure the blows of fate; a person develops in a state of crisis.

“Everything was great: prestigious job, high income, career growth. And now... I don’t know how to continue to live and what to do.” People who have lost their jobs in the metropolis are pouring into the labor exchange.

There are massive layoffs in Novosibirsk, and the first to be hit are nonresident residents, among whom are many Berdsk residents.

“Over the last eight months alone, 113 people turned to the employment center,” says Head of the center Elena Dmitrieva. — People come so lost and crushed that most of them need professional psychological help. Just yesterday they had self-confidence, a well-paid job (many have a figure of over 40 thousand rubles on their income certificates), and now they need to look for work, pay off loans...

Of course, layoffs are extremely stressful. If you, out of two dozen people, are fired, your qualities are devalued, fear appears, and the future is drawn in rather unpromising pictures: who needs new employees in a crisis?

But still…

“First of all, you need to pull yourself together,” says Irina Nikolaeva, an employment center inspector and psychologist with 15 years of experience. – Try to calm down: you just lost your job, but life doesn’t end there. And no inferiority complexes!

“Everything is fine with you, every person has strong qualities, and the company, since it is laying off workers who have nothing to pay salaries, is not so prosperous.” Perhaps very soon he will order “to live long,” the psychologist predicts. — Meanwhile, you have a chance to find a more promising and better job.

- How to find it if there is a crisis everywhere and new employees are not hired anywhere?

“Perhaps at first you will have to register with the labor exchange and work in a “non-prestigious” position. But the crisis does not last forever. In this situation, the main thing is to stay afloat in order to survive difficult times. And at the same time, you need to search for something you like. If you try, you will certainly find it.

First, believe in yourself. Every person should know their worth, because you were hired for a reason, but for certain knowledge and merit. Second, set yourself the goal of getting a job. And third, stop scaring yourself with obstacles.

If the first attempt to find a job was unsuccessful, this does not mean at all that such an employee is not needed anywhere else. The main thing is not to regret your past work and move on. Also in this situation, psychological support from loved ones is very important.

- What should it consist of?

— Constantly repeat that everything will work out for your shortened relative. Often, people who have worked in one place for 10-15 years, with a good education and significant work experience, cannot put two words together when talking about themselves at a seminar at an employment center.

Help your loved one write a resume, find vacancies, but don’t go too far! Some forty-year-old men are brought to our employment center by their wife or, even worse, their mother and ask them to “register their child.”

Learn to constructively construct a dialogue: both the one who is left without work and the one who is forced to pull the burden for himself and “that guy” need to survive.

Properly distribute the “thinner” family budget, set the maximum period of employment and act! A person should spend as much time searching for a job as the job itself took.

Attention! there should be a special approach to men. Women are more tenacious, they always have an incentive: they need to raise children, so they find work quite quickly.

— And men, as one of my friends says, need a “magic kick” to adapt faster?..

— It’s possible that it’s a mess, you just need to remember that the stronger sex in a difficult situation forgets about responsibility, withdraws into itself, believing that it’s left alone with its problem. Tunnel thinking appears, which greatly slows down the job search.

Constantly remind him that he is not alone. His wife, children, and friends are still nearby, who treat him the same way and are ready to help. This will give you confidence and help you find what you want faster.

A year ago, in the office where I worked at the time, rumors began to circulate that the new management was planning to carry out a global restructuring of the entire department and that it would not do without some heads rolling.

At that time, my experience in the company exceeded 7 years. During my work, I managed to build a fairly successful career, achieve a decent salary level, have subordinates and all the ensuing benefits.

I also managed to lose all this due to health problems, so for the last few months I have been working as an ordinary clerk.

When there are rumors about possible layoffs, willy-nilly you consider yourself a candidate for relegation. I would even say that such rumors helped me mentally get used to this idea. And this, perhaps, is better than receiving the news that you have been laid off.

When I imagined that it was my position that would be redundant, I created for myself the first rule of behavior when laying off jobs.

First rule: don't get upset

I forced myself to understand that it was not me personally who was being laid off, but the position I held; that the people who made this decision do not have any complaints against me, as the girl Diana, moreover, they have never even seen me.

This awareness allows you to maintain self-confidence and adequate self-esteem, which is extremely important when the need arises to look for a new job. A person who is confident in himself is ten times more likely to get a job than someone who is fixated on the idea that he was rejected by his previous employer.

The second rule I formed after realizing that I had one foot in the labor exchange.

Rule two: stand up for your rights

Having learned that in 2 weeks I would have to leave my workplace, I immediately began to study information about the rules for dismissal from work.

And the first thing I came across was that the employer is obliged to warn about the upcoming layoff no later than 2 months in advance. If he does not comply with these deadlines, then he pays them according to average earnings.

After I presented this information to the personnel department, my last working day was pushed forward another 1.5 months, because it was more profitable for the company to keep me working than to simply pay compensation.

Secondly, together with the payment on the last working day, the employer is obliged to pay severance pay in the amount of 1 month’s salary.

And thirdly, the employee’s salary is retained for another 1 month if he does not find a job during this period.

During all negotiations with management and personnel department employees, I tried to maintain a calm but fairly clear position. I carefully re-read all the documents and did not sign until I was absolutely sure that my rights were not infringed.

Bottom line

During that period, about 10-15 people were laid off, and a fairly significant proportion of them left, signing a statement of their own free will, without receiving any compensation.

In fact, I provided myself with wages for 4 months in advance, 2 of which I could easily look for a new job.

Have you ever experienced layoffs at work?

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Downsizing is one of the most common reasons why people lose their jobs. And, unfortunately, practically no employee is insured against such an event, even if he loves his job and performs his duties perfectly. However, job cuts are not always carried out in accordance with existing rules and laws. After all, when laying off employees, the employer must pay them compensation. This is fraught with significant expenses. But this does not mean that people left without work should suffer from the desire of their superiors to save money.

Let's figure out what the procedure for layoffs at work is and whether dismissal can be avoided. And what to do if this does happen.

Rules for dismissal from work

The rules for dismissal from work imply the following actions on the part of the employer:

issuance of an order containing changes in the staffing table and the start date of reduction measures;
written notification to employees who have been laid off (at least 2 months before the date of dismissal);
offering employees alternative vacancies (if any).

It should be noted that the layoff rules require personal written notification to each dismissed employee listing the reasons why the company is forced to refuse the services of this employee (for example, liquidation of the organization). Each employee must sign the notice. This procedure cannot be carried out orally - a signature is required.

If the company is not liquidated, management is obliged to offer employees who have been laid off alternative vacancies. Of course, if they exist. If there are no available vacancies that match the employee’s work experience and skills, then he may be offered a position with a lower salary or a position requiring lower qualifications. However, an employee can be transferred to another position only with his written consent (that is, he is not obliged to agree to less favorable conditions). Management is obliged to offer the employee new vacancies (if any appear) until his dismissal.

Conditions for layoffs include payments to those dismissed:

the employee receives severance pay (one average monthly salary);
while a former employee is looking for a job while reducing staff and has not found one in two months, he can qualify for another average monthly salary;

Working in his position for two months before the date of dismissal, the person continues to receive his due salary. If the employee agrees to quit before the appointed date (this desire must be reflected in a written document, not verbally), then he is entitled to another compensation. He is paid an average monthly salary according to the amount of time remaining unworked.

It should be borne in mind that some employers, who do not want to incur additional costs, persuade employees to resign of their own free will, convincing them that there is no difference. However, it is also significant. In this case, you do not receive compensation. Therefore, you must be fired under the relevant article of the labor code (81 Labor Code of the Russian Federation, paragraph two).

How to avoid layoffs at work? Firstly, when choosing between two employees, the more qualified one is retained. Secondly, if people are in equal conditions (they have the same qualifications and labor productivity), they pay attention to other indicators. Thus, the following factors give priority rights:

improvement of qualifications by an employee on behalf of the employer without interruption from work;
presence of dependents (at least two);
the person is the sole breadwinner in the family (other family members are unemployed);
disability received as a result of participation in hostilities aimed at defending the Motherland, or the Great Patriotic War;
presence of occupational diseases/injuries acquired during work in this company.

Capable of avoiding layoffs (that is, they do not have the right to fire such people):

pregnant women;
single mothers, single fathers with a child under 14 (and under 18 if disabled) years, as well as guardians of children of the specified age;
mothers of children under three years of age;
people who have temporary disability and are on sick leave.

How to survive layoffs at work

Downsizing at work is often the reason a person is fired. And although he understands perfectly well that it is not his fault for what happened, and that everything is not happening because of his mistakes and mistakes, it is still difficult to come to terms with this event. Work after notice of layoffs may no longer bring joy, although you used to love what you do. Are you waiting with horror for the moment of dismissal and have no idea - what’s next? How to survive layoffs at work and regain confidence in yourself?

Oddly enough, being fired comes with a ton of new opportunities. It’s just that a person immersed in experiences does not notice this. Especially if after dismissal he cannot work in his specialty. But instead of succumbing to sad thoughts, you can go get additional education or work, discover new sides and talents in yourself, turn your hobby into a source of income...

Of course, there is little fun in being fired. However, the main thing is to understand that this is just a stage. Today there is no work and money, but tomorrow everything can change. Maybe if you stop feeling sorry for yourself and start taking action. Don't know where to start? Start with something that interests you but that you haven't had time for before. Even if it is sports, which, it would seem, cannot help in finding a job. But they promote a good mood, self-confidence and strength. This is exactly what is needed in order to want to live fully again. The main thing is not to be idle!