In the United States the financial sector alone cut 264,306 jobs and the European, Chinese, Russian and Australian economies are shrinking. What can you do to protect yourself? As Lincoln said "We must disenthrall ourselves. Shutting out the psychological pain of losing your job is human. Just don't do it now. Fight Back. Here are some suggestions:
First of all, find out how well the company you work for is doing and how well stock and sales are holding up. You can't tell whether payroll lines of credit have been cut but you can hang out by the water cooler and listen for rumors of moves to another town or a smaller location. There may be whispers of offshoring.
Distracted Managers
Perhaps you can find out if supplier bills are unpaid or late, whether strangers are checking out the premises or equipment, or if favorable local tax incentives have been rescinded. Other signs are bad tempered or distracted managers and the company terminating its marketing or advertising agency, cutting perks, putting important projects on hold, instituting hiring freezes, not replacing aging equipment and not bothering to continue optimizing the website.
Is the "office tyrant" refraining from monitoring personal time on company computers? If he or she is doing that, there's something going on that the usual rules won't fix.
Notice when your boss asks you to train someone else for your job. He or she will probably mumble something about moving you further up the ladder but don't be fooled. Watch out for unearned criticism, harsh reviews, banishment from meetings, curtailment of circulation for email advisories and reports and opinions unheeded or not requested. The Wall Street Journal says managers move away from workers they plan to lay off.
Polish Your Resume
Even if everything seems fine, polish your resume, keep up contacts in other firms and business organizations and open your eyes to other opportunities. It's easier getting a job when employed. Check whether existing skills form a basis for a new business. If so, start planning and moonlighting to hedge your bets.
If the company's in trouble but trying, suggest ways it can save money. Stephen Viscusi (usnews.com) recommends becoming the manager's ally and the company's cheerleader, not taking a vacation, looking busy, working late, not telecommuting, staying visible and uncomplaining and finally, offering to take less money if firing is "a budget thing" . If all this fails, offer to work part time or as an outside consultant.
Wrongful Dismissal
However, if nothing works and the parting is acrimonious, check the grounds for wrongful dismissal suits. Lawyers can help if your boss bullied you or if you heeded a written or verbal criticism and got axed anyway. If the company wants to move to another city and has offered inadequate compensation, see a lawyer.
When the axe falls, a zimbio.com blogger advises taking home office supplies when you leave so you will have enough for a lifetime!
The Boss Probably Doesn't Want To Guillotine You Himself
The boss probably doesn't want to guillotine you himself. Harvard's Joshua Margolis and Brandeis University's Andrew Molinsky found in their study " Necessary Evils and Interpersonal Sensitivity in Organizations" published in The Academy of Management Review in April 2005 that 54 percent of managers disregarded advice to be unemotional when firing somebody. They felt better commiserating with and offering advice to exiting workers. Many helped find replacement jobs.
Corporate Outrage
There's corporate outrage when bad things happen to good companies and managers take it out on workers, especially in publicly traded ones. Such outfits actually like to see people chopped. Money's saved, the bottom line burnished.
Self-Protection Is The Name Of The Game
In a tightening economy with evaporating company credit, layoffs are inevitable. As Boy Scouts say, be prepared. Don't think because it's Friday and the axe hasn't fallen that everything's fine. Companies cut jobs daily. Self-protection is the name of the game.
Ann Berkeley - Over some years, I covered major news events - the capture of James Earl Ray, Martin Luther King's murderer, the hippie phenomenon, the ...
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