Workers who remain after layoffs feel “survivors’ guilt.”

Massive layoffs like the ones that rocked the tech industry don’t just affect people who have lost their jobs.

Laid-off workers face practical challenges, such as keeping their finances afloat and getting a new job, as well as the psychological blow of feeling rejected. However, those who stay after their colleagues have been fired may also struggle with what workplace psychologists call “survivor guilt.”

Susan Tyson, a marketing specialist at a Texas software company, experienced this firsthand when her employer laid off 25 of her roughly 7,000 co-workers last month. At first, she was understandably relieved that she had kept her job. Then the regret began to set in.

“My first thought was: “Hooray, it’s not me!” And my second thought was guilt that others lost their jobs and I didn’t,” Tyson told CBS MoneyWatch. “A lot of people I’ve worked with get fired and whenever that happens, you feel bad.”

Google cuts 12,000 jobs as tech layoffs continue 02:49

Typically, survivor guilt occurs when some people, often voluntarily, experience traumatic events such as combat, a natural disaster, or a layoff, while others are less fortunate.

This is now the case for some workers at tech companies, including Google, IBM, Lyft, Meta, Twitter and others, as they cut headcount amid the slowdown in the economy. Tech companies cut nearly 60,000 jobs in January alone, reversing the pandemic-driven hiring surge.

In the workplace, this can cause anger, fear, and anxiety among surviving employees, according to David Noer, career consultant and author of Healing Wounds: Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs and Revitalizing Downsized Organizations.

In his experience, “People who survive layoffs tend to be less productive, more suspicious, more scared, and doing less work than expected.”

“I feel shortlisted”

Some workers, like Tyson, wonder why they were spared and fear they could lose their jobs in the event of future layoffs.

“Honestly, I feel like I’ve been shortlisted and there are many more cuts to come,” she said. “I don’t know what the logic behind the layoffs was. I don’t understand her.”

Indeed, when employers don’t talk openly about why some workers were fired and others weren’t, it can create a deep sense of insecurity.

“Employees who stay with a company after leaving a company often worry about the future of the company,” said Katherine Minshew, founder and CEO of The Muse, a career development platform. “This can be tricky because most employers are unable or unwilling to comment on why some people were selected for layoffs and others were not.”

“It could be related to the company’s budget and priorities or performance. Or it can be somewhat random and this ambiguity and lack of specific information can scare people,” she added.

And in the era of remote work, employees sometimes don’t even know which of their colleagues has been laid off.

“Sometimes you don’t even know who got fired until you email them and get an auto-response,” career transition coach Katherine Morgan told CBS MoneyWatch.

Psychological “tsunami effects”

Coping with these difficult emotions can undermine the survivors’ trust in the company and, in turn, affect their performance and productivity at work.

“It creates a lot of paranoia and because of that you get a lot of distrust within the organization with these large-scale layoffs,” said workplace mental health expert Sally Spencer-Thomas. “Workers will wonder if the organization cares about their well-being or if they only care about making a profit. Thus, after a mass layoff, there are many psychological effects of a tsunami.”

Companies that proactively prepare their workforce for layoffs tend to do better. Steps that can put employees at ease include communicating the reason for layoffs and providing information about the future of the company. According to Noer, leaders who “deal with feelings and emotions” and conduct “sessions of grief and outpouring” can keep employees’ trust in the company.

“This is what is lost in such a transition. Therefore, it is very important to take actions, steps to restore this trust,” Spencer-Thomas said.

‘Career softening’ is a growing trend among workers as layoffs continue in the US 03:56

For those who have experienced a layoff, reaching out to former colleagues can also sometimes help both parties feel better.

“It is important to keep in touch with people who have left. They need support just like those who are left behind. she added.

It can also help ease the guilt of being fired from your job, Minshew says.

“One of the most powerful ways to deal with the guilt of layoff survivors is to actively reach out to those people in your company who have been affected by the layoff,” she said. “You can be of great help to them in their job search by introducing them to other contacts and companies, offering to serve as a positive reference, or help review their resume or LinkedIn profile.”

Content Source

News Press Ohio – Latest News:
Columbus Local News || Cleveland Local News || Ohio State News || National News || Money and Economy News || Entertainment News || Tech News || Environment News

Related Articles

Back to top button