After Two Layoffs, She's Wiser
Consider the case of one high-tech professional who currently manages a Web site for a California company. She has experienced two layoffs at previous firms. At her first layoff, she was part of a development group for which she designed the user interface. Reflecting on her experience, she says that there were "lots of inklings. First a 10 percent pay cut, then four layoffs previous to the one that hit me. I thought I was 'safe,' being the only person doing usability, user/customer interaction, and UI development. Seems I got ahead of myself," and she was laid off.
The layoff was announced in a meeting. "It stunk because we had no way of saying goodbye to our departed workers. By the time it came to my layoff, I think I got my vacation and two weeks' severance. Morale was pathetic and it was a bitter experience for me. I'd been there for 14 months."
Her second experience came when she worked for a software company for which she was the corporate Webmaster in charge of the Internet and intranet sites. The CEO of the company informed them about the plan for "rebuilding via an all-hands teleconference. He followed this up with an e-mail. The teleconference was concurrent with press releases, so some folks heard about it on the radio as they were driving in to work. We had lots of notice, since the company's money mismanagement and stock prices were all made public."
Although her second layoff was smaller than the first one, she received only a "10-minute exit interview on a Friday and packed my stuff and was gone by the afternoon. It was more humane in that I got to say goodbye to folks, but I'd been at the company for 4+ years, so I got a month's severance and all my unused vacation, about 6 weeks total."
Lessons for the Future: Don't discount rumors. Although gossip around the company occurred, she admits, "I'm afraid I don't pay that much attention to water-cooler conversation. So, maybe I tend to focus on my work when I'm at work." Not a bad thing, of course, but focusing only on work and ignoring those vibes around you can, alas, not always be the wisest way to work.
The upside of it: "I must say that in each case I vastly improved my situation after being laid off. It was always a good thing, and I feel rather dispassionate about the situation now."
In addition, says this layoff veteran, "If I get laid off, I know that my skills are highly marketable and—especially in the Silicon Valley market—I can have another comparable job within a few days. Now, it's just a job to me. Getting laid off twice and surviving [it] taught me not to invest my self image in who I was at work. It taught me that loyalty is something deeper than what you owe in exchange for a paycheck. It helped me refine what I wanted an employer to provide for me and what I was willing to comfortably 'sell'—my skills and commitment to doing quality work, not my heart. And I don't feel like I'm missing out by having that attitude."
