Anyone who has ever been laid off knows the consequences of going to work one day and being told that you are no longer employed. You go through a roller coaster ride of emotions, especially if you thought you had a job that was secure, only to learn that you are expendable and there is no security.
Finding yourself on the receiving end of a pink slip can be devastating mentally as well as physically. There may be feelings of betrayal, anger, helplessness, frustration, and anxiety.
Don't fool yourself. A layoff can be a bitter pill to swallow, hard to understand by the individual who is suddenly thrust out of work, and hard on the family because it needs that income to survive and to move forward.
A sudden loss of income is especially hard when mortgage payments, rent, car notes, credit cards, day care for children, and other monthly bills, along with everyday living expenses such as buying groceries and clothing and other necessities have to be paid.
If a company decides that it needs to restructure, outsource it's operations overseas for cheaper labor, or close it's doors altogether, not only does it affect employees, but it can have a devastating affect on whole communities, especially small towns in which the company is a major employer.
A layoff can have far reaching affects on health care when employee based insurance benefits are lost, especially if there are children involved. The loss of employee based health care insurance may mean having to forgo a doctor's visit, the discontinuation of dental and vision care, and if someone becomes sick, it may mean having to make a visit to a public healthcare facility.
Marriages can, and often do, suffer from layoffs. Many marriages go through traumatic periods when one spouse has been laid off and sometimes, marriages are not repairable and end in divorce. Layoffs should not affect marriages in such negative ways, but they do. Anger, resentment, arguments, physical and emotional abuse, drinking, drug addition, and other issues often occur when a spouse is no longer able to contribute to the household.
But more often than not, a layoff can bring a family closer together. It gives both spouses the opportunity to prove that their wedding vows were truly etched in stone and they are in their relationship for better or worse, richer or poorer, and find that love can them through the toughest of times.
Most people understand that, after a layoff, life goes on, and if they are actively looking, a new job will present itself shortly. Sometimes the new employment opportunity may be better, less stressful, and higher paying, and than their previous job.
Most layoffs occur when the economy is depressed. When the economy picks up and starts to expand again, jobs are created and many employers want their skilled workers back so many, if they are still available, are rehired back to the company that laid them off.
If there are rumors about possible layoffs on your job, take them seriously. Keep your eyes and ears open and start making "just in case" plans. If layoffs are based on seniority, find out where you rank in the company's employee roster, and if you have an idea that you may be let go, start looking for other employment opportunities right away. Don't let a layoff sneak up on you and catch you without a plan.