how do I tell a laid-off coworker that her old job is open but she shouldn’t apply? by Alison Green on March 22, 2016 A reader writes: A former coworker of mine, Padmé, was laid off when we were faced with severe budget cuts a few years back. I feel certain that she would still be working here, if not for the required cuts. However, it wasn’t just a seniority thing; she was chosen as the least best vs. […] Read the full article →
did my employer mishandle my layoff? by Alison Green on June 8, 2015 A reader writes: I was planning on quitting my nonprofit job because during my evaluation my manager criticized me for taking lunch breaks out of the office, ignoring her emails to my personal address after hours, and not working 50 to 60 hour weeks (without overtime pay). Instead, I was gratefully laid off with 30 […] Read the full article →
my job didn’t warn me that I’d be temporarily laid off each summer by Alison Green on August 8, 2014 A reader writes: I started a new event manager job in January that I was very excited about. The company I started with was two event facilities that merged and my position was expected to manage all events in one facility, but I would be trained to manage events in the additional facility. The additional facility […] Read the full article →
how can I manage my team in the aftermath of layoffs? by Alison Green on February 6, 2014 A reader writes: In the last month, my team has been reorganized and cut by 25%, as part of overall company layoffs. My staff members are, understandably, freaking out and wondering if more cuts are coming. It’s more important than ever that we keep productivity up, but how do I ensure that we keep work […] Read the full article →
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 →