Handling a Layoff
Posted January 17th, 2011
When you get the news that you’ve been laid off, your first reaction may be to hit the panic button. But one business expert says that’s the worst thing you can do. When you lose your job because of a layoff or downsizing, you need to develop a plan of action about what you’re going to do, and being in a state of panic won’t help you at all to calmly assess your situation and your options.
Getting laid off is one of the most stressful events you can go through, but there are actions you can take to help you get through a trying time such as this.
Here are some examples of the things you can do:
- Apply for unemployment benefits right away. If you wait to file, it is possible that you won’t be paid for the time that you were unemployed and did not file.
- Find out from your employer, or union if you are a member, what resources the company or union provides for people who have been hit with a layoff, and find out how to get them.
- Contact the labor department in your area and find out what resources it has to offer laid-off or unemployed workers. Take advantage of these resources, which may include things such as job search help centers and similar programs.
- It’s also important not to make things up as you go, but to develop a written plan of the goals you want to reach and the actions you are going to take as you work toward another job. Make a list of things you are going to do, prioritize them and then use the list as a way to budget your time. This may be especially important when you are suddenly without a daily schedule centering around a job. If you don’t have a plan or some type of structure to your time, you may end up not using your time effectively, increasing your unemployment period and the stresses that go along with it.
- Talk things over with your family about the changes and worries that also will affect them.
- Be careful about finances if you have been laid off. You will have to make some changes to your spending habits. Be careful about overuse of credit cards or drawing down retirement accounts, which will only create more trouble. You will need to draw up a new budget that takes into account your situation. You may need to go for advice to a professional financial advisor or groups such as Consumer Credit Counseling.
Other things to keep in mind – get professional help for depression, do career planning that begins with an evaluation of your strengths and weaknesses, and treat your job search like a full-time job itself.
One of the smartest things you can do in the event of a layoff is to bring your resume to Bayside Solutions. We can help you find your next full-time position and also place you in terrific temporary assignments with some of San Francisco’s best employers while you wait. Contact us today!
