| According to the experts, many of us will be laid off more than once. So, it's a good idea to be prepared. It's is survivable, but still a very stressful time, even if you are one of the "stars" in your workplace. Stars get laid off, too. Don't expect a layoff to be rational.
DO NOT look for a new job from your current place of employment! Employers in the U.S. have the right to watch what you are doing with company assets (e.g. your office computer, your office Internet connection, etc. even if you work from home), and they may see that e-mailed resume and/or your many visits to Monster, etc. That can a very quick way to get fired!
You are the most attractive to a potential employer when you are still employed.
Getting Ready to Be Unemployed
If you've done a little ground work and some planning, you'll feel more in control when the proverbial ax falls. Here are some things you can do in advance of being laid off, both at work (below) and at home.
- Protect your pension and/or 401K, if possible.
If you think that the company is at risk of going out of business completely, look into your company benefits - can you re-allocate all or part of your 401K if it is 100% invested in your employer's stock? Can you take your pension as a "lump sum" when you leave? If you are part of a profit-sharing plan that is 100% invested in company stock, can you diversify with investments in other companies' stocks?
Even if you are in your 20's or 30's, be protective and pro-active about retaining as many of these long-term financial benefits as you can. They will come in very handy some day...
- Get a copy of your official personnel folder.
Try to get a copy of your personnel file - performance reviews, letters of commendation, warnings, etc. Stop by the HR department, and offer to copy the file yourself - "just for my own records." You are looking for documents you don't have in your personal personnel folder (which, of course, you have been keeping over the years), but make a copy of everything you can.
- Collect written recommendations - "just in case."
Get written recommendations before everyone scatters, particularly from your boss, hopefully on company letterhead. You may not be able to reach people if they have left the employer, too, so get that recommendation NOW, so you have it at home "just in case" the layoff happens to hit you.
- Put together a list of people who will serve as references for you - "just in case."
If someone has had an opportunity to see you at work and seems to think you do a good job, ask if they will be a reference for you. Ask supervisors, managers, colleagues, co-workers, and even subordinates. Then, ask for their personal contact information so that you can stay in touch after you or they leave your current employer. Get approval from as many people as possible because there will be attrition as time passes.
If someone doesn't agree or seems reluctant, don't use them as a reference. They could hurt your next job search if a potential employer calls them.
- Be a reference for others.
If you liked their work, be
willing and prepared to be a reference for your co-workers, colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates, too. This is one of the ways to start your post-employment networking, and that's a very good thing for your future job searches.
- Get personal contact information from others you know in the company - "just in case."
In addition to the people who may serve as references, collect personal contact information from colleagues as well as permission to stay in touch. Then, when/if you (or one of your co-workers) disappear from the workplace, you will be able to stay in touch through the coming months and years.
Your "former" co-workers will ultimately be part of your network. They will be a good source of support and information for you in your job search, as you can be for them in their job search. The former employees of some companies join together in an "company alumni group" to facilitate staying in touch, and your fellow ex-employees may, too, but get that contact information before everyone leaves, just in case.
- Quietly remove your personal items from your place of work.
Start taking home personal items, as quietly and as unobtrusively as you can. If you are selected to be laid off, you may not have time to pack your things to take home. Someone else may do it later, or never. So, do it in advance yourself. Take the family photos, awards, etc. home. If you've installed your own software on your company's computer, be sure that you take home the package, manual, CD, etc. Also, if you've done any personal work on your office computer, be sure to take copies home and delete those files from the office computer.
Caution: Be careful about removing anything that the company would consider to be owned by the company, anything that would be "proprietary" to the company, or anything that would compromise their business and your future (like customer lists, proposals, patent applications, financial reports, etc.). Note that, unless you've made other arrangements in advance, your employer probably "owns" what you have created at work. They also own your office computer and the office supplies you use.
Use your own judgment and ethics, but be careful. If something is marked "company confidential," leave it alone. Former employees can be, and are, sued for violating agreements. They can even be accused of theft. If you aren't sure, call an attorney outside the company. You don't want to become a "criminal" in the process of preparing for your next job search.
- Create your personal "parachute."
Look into severance packages and what you may be able to negotiate on your way out the door. People being laid off are often provided with "outplacement" services - which includes career counseling, help with a resume, sometimes even offices with phones and IT support. Several weeks, or months, of vacation or continued salary are VERY handy, etc.
- Be careful of using company assets for personal reasons.
Stop using the company e-mail for personal messages to family and friends outside of the company. Be very careful of what is charged to the company credit card, etc. If there is a layoff pending, someone viewed as "abusing company assets" for personal use may be at greater risk than other employees.
- Read Job-Hunt's "15 Minute Guide to Layoff Self Defense" and the "Preparations for Layoff You Can Do at Home" article for more ideas if you haven't already read them. If you have read them, move on to the "Surviving Being Laid Off" article.
For more information, check out Fired, Laid Off or Forced Out: A Complete Guide to Severance, Benefits, and Your Rights When You're Starting Over, a book by Richard C. Busse.
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