I found out my coworker is getting laid off by Alison Green on January 16, 2014 A reader writes: The company I work for is significantly off budget, and I have known for about a week that a particular manager (who’s basically a peer) is being considered for layoff as the company is looking to make major cuts. I was brought into the conversation because of the effect his separation will […] Read the full article →
what to do if you’re getting laid off by Alison Green on June 26, 2013 Layoffs can come as a shock – one minute you’re happily doing your job, with no thought of unemployment, and then next moment you’re out of a job. Even when you’ve had an inkling that the company might be thinking of making cuts, hearing that it’s you who’s been cut is painful news that can […] Read the full article →
my coworkers knew I was being laid off before I knew by Alison Green on June 14, 2013 A reader writes: I found out after I had been formally laid off that at least 2 other employees were notified of my layoff the week prior to the event so they wouldn’t get upset. One was a peer, another a subordinate. I am not sure how many others knew. Is this a common practice? […] Read the full article →
layoffs looming and baby on the way by Alison Green on January 7, 2013 A reader writes: My multi-national employer is in trouble. This is public knowledge and our GM has warned us that there will be cuts due to a projected revenue shortfall in the tens of millions of dollars. Given that my division is essentially a vendor, we’re at the mercy of clients who aren’t booking work […] Read the full article →
this isn’t how you make layoff decisions by Alison Green on December 12, 2012 This is dumb on so many levels that I don’t even know where to begin: Newspaper tells two employees to decide between themselves which one will be laid off Oh fine, I’ll begin here: You don’t make layoff decisions arbitrarily — you make them based on actual business factors, looking at performance, what the company […] Read the full article →
managers pushing us to work harder while we wait to be laid off by Alison Green on September 29, 2012 A reader writes: In mid-August, my company informed us that my department was to be laid-off sometime in September. It is now the end of September and we have not had any more information about the layoffs. Our bi-weekly department meetings have been cancelled and my direct managers have no information. Our senior managers have […] Read the full article →
laid off and lambasted by boss for not helping out more afterwards by Alison Green on August 30, 2012 A reader writes: I had worked for a large company for over 4 years when I was laid off. This layoff was not unexpected, given that my manager and I did not get along the last year of me working there. I had moved 500 miles away to take this job and turned out to […] Read the full article →
ask the readers: farewell cards when coworkers are laid off by Alison Green on July 18, 2012 I thought this would be an interesting one to throw out to readers to answer. Here’s the question: Is it normal to circulate company-sponsored farewell cards for coworkers who have just been laid off? I work for a smallish company (about 100 people) and last week there were 5 people laid off. This is a first […] Read the full article →
fired vs. laid off, and the difference between a hiring manager and HR by Alison Green on June 13, 2012 I see these words confused all the time, so let’s straighten out some vocabulary issues. 1. Fired vs. laid off vs. terminated Fired: If someone is fired, they are being let go because of their performance or behavior. Laid off: If someone is laid off, their position is being eliminated — the company was restructuring or having […] Read the full article →
are you always at least partly to blame if you’re laid off? by Alison Green on January 22, 2012 A reader writes: I am currently job searching right now and through the local library have ran across a couple of books by Cynthia Shapiro, who is a well experienced HR manager herself. In one of her books, she gave some good ideas of how to be a good employee and ways companies could come […] Read the full article →