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There has been a reduction in force!
A Published Article on February 18, 2009 by Phil House

There’s been a reduction in force!


Robert sat at the conference table with his supervisor. He was stunned. He had just been laid off and would need to clear out his belongings from his place of work where he had invested a good portion of his daily life for the past several years. What was his wife going to say when he told her this evening? Would he even tell her for a few days? He was afraid how this might effect her and their children.


Sally has just been downsized, and at 45+ years of age, she wonders how she will locate another job. She is in her peak earning years and has developed job skills and history that will not match or transfer very well to the limited number of job vacancies in her home town. Her job skills are well formed and it is difficult to contemplate retraining or further schooling. Sally also has emotional, social and financial ties to her community that are very hard to consider breaking. She is too young to retire, her finances are limited, and yet she feels she lacks the time and academic skill to start over with her training and education, to climb up the ladder in a new career.


After Robert returned to his office and began to empty out his desk, his mind raced to the issue of health insurance and he wondered how he could afford to pay for it. COBRA was fine, but the cost difference in the insurance, with no income, was overwhelming. Anxiety coursed through his mind and expressed itself in his body in waves. He found himself struggling to catch his breath.


Sally considered all the relationships she had established with coworkers and customers. Who would inform them? Would she continue to maintain friendships with any of her fellow workers? How would she introduce herself to others since new people always asked what she did? How would it feel to file for unemployment and begin the process of trying to find a new job. Would she be able to find a position that would provide her enough income to pay the bills and provide the health, dental and vision benefits she had grown accustomed to. Would she have to move? What about selling her house in this weakened real estate market?


Robert’s mind raced and then he found himself beginning to feel angry, very angry. He was angry at his boss, his company, at the economy, at God. How could this happen to him, now? He had invested so much in the company, and far beyond what had been required of him, for what? He had neglected his wife and children at times to respond to the needs of the company. For what?


As the days went by after the lay-off, Robert found himself feeling detached from his wife, children and others. The anger subsided, but he found himself not caring much about anything. He had begun the difficult process of looking for another job, with no success and several, “we found someone who better fits the job.” Finances were getting very tight. Tensions in the relationship with his wife were increasing. Life was becoming very difficult. He was even feeling ashamed and guilty.


Sally had been aware of the tightening economy, but had thought her company and her position would weather the downturn. She was sure that working harder and making herself more valuable would insulate her from a layoff. But, that had not been the case. Now, she was not having success in finding a new job other than base pay positions that would not even come close to paying the bills, or jobs that would hammer her esteem and sense of worth. What about the training and education she had pursued in years past? They seem to be skills that are outdated and not being pursued in the current job market.


With symptoms of depression increasing, Robert is now also concerned about other aspects of his health, noticing that another laid off fellow employee has recently been struggling with numerous health symptoms and generalized anxiety.


Steps to Take In Times of Job Loss
There are numerous ways to reduce health risks and address mental health adjustment after a layoff. They include eating balanced meals, getting regular exercise and adequate sleep. Spending time regularly with loved ones and friends, rather than following the natural inclination to withdraw from others and avoid social events is important. Don’t spend all your time thinking about finding a job, even though it is easy to focus on what has been lost, seeking to replace it. Pleasure and satisfaction come from many places and it is critical not to just hide away and worry. It is important to continue to maintain a network of friends and meetings regularly. It is also critical to have at least one objective individual with whom concerns and worries can be shared and talked out, so they don’t stay locked in your head and spin out of control.


Laid off individuals who research where the jobs are in the economy and their local area, and what skills are needed, seeking to stay flexible in their thinking and the options they are pursuing, seem to do the best emotionally. They seek out assistance with retraining and various programs to help them move into a new position or new type of work. They maintain a sense of hope in the midst of difficulty. As jobs are pursued, they accentuate their experience, knowledge, judgment and loyalty in a resume’ as a way to emphasize their worth.


Practical issues like prioritizing expenses and reducing spending are critical. Investing time on inexpensive activities that bring some pleasure are important, such as playing a board game with friends, hosting a pot luck dinner, playing with riding toys in the driveway with your toddler, or going for a walk in the neighborhood with your spouse. Play and relaxing times connect you with others. They remind you that relationships are important and have value beyond a job. Taking time to renew faith commitments rather than abandoning them, is another important aspect of emotional stability in trying times when you are pursuing work.


Maintaining normal routines is especially helpful, where what was “work” time can be continued, with job applications, interviews, and retraining pursuits, substituted in its place. Don’t dwell on a “worst case scenario”, as there is a strong likelihood that you and your family will be okay. This is true even if you have to face significant changes in circumstances. Actively seek to be thankful and optimistic, even when dealing with job and career loss and change. Focus on your strengths, avoid excessive blaming, don’t get your hopes too high, and yet think positively.


Even when things get worse economically, most people will be okay physically and will find ways to adjust emotionally to their losses. Keep utilizing your problem solving skills, seek to maintain a positive view of the future, dig deep in your faith, express your strong emotions selectively, and surround yourself with caring family and friends.


-Phil House, Psy.D.


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