How to survive a layoff. Psychological assistance after dismissal from work Fired from work how not to worry

The crisis is unpredictable. And it seemed that yesterday nothing threatened you at your workplace, but today your boss announces a layoff and you are fired. It is clear that this is a serious stress, but you should not consider yourself an unlucky person, fall into despondency and curse fate. You need to gather strength and show character in order to get out of the situation, preserving, if possible, health and self-esteem, and not do stupid things in a state of shock, resentment and irritation.

And the shock, of course, will be, even if you intuitively felt the possibility of dismissal. This is due to the fact that you were faced with the need to change your life, because the loss of a job will definitely require this. Therefore, it is so important to keep your emotions and your actions under control when you are informed about the resignation. If you do not have the opportunity to somehow influence such a decision, then you need to leave calmly and without unnecessary unnecessary words.

If suddenly you are asked to sign a letter of resignation of your own free will or a document that causes you doubts, ask for time to think. By law, the employer must give you at least 2 months notice of dismissal, in addition, you are entitled to compensation. It is also impossible to fire a pregnant woman from work to lay off, as well as a young mother who has children under three years old.

Emotions that overwhelm you can be shown at home, among people close to you, who will understand you and will not judge you. Surely you will want to complain, and quarrel, and accuse of injustice - do it within the walls of your home. Such relaxation will help you take a calmer look at the situation, analyze it and outline a plan of action.

You will really need the acquired peace of mind when you start taking steps in search of a new job, because, keeping resentment, bitterness, irritation in your soul, it will be difficult for you to focus on interviews and even be objective about yourself. In addition, such feelings are difficult to hide, and the employer, first of all, needs stress-resistant employees.

If your relatives or friends offer you their help in finding a job, do not refuse. It is very good that there are people near you who are ready to help and support.

As for the company that fires you, then you need to part with it, at least calmly, so you can try to agree, for example, on a later date of dismissal. This will be quite possible if you are doing some long-term work and are able to reasonably explain to your superiors that it is you who should complete it. And you will need the gained time to find a new job.

In addition, you should not forget about compensation: according to the law, the employer is obliged to pay you a salary for 2 months if during this period you have not found a new job. Also, do not forget that the company must pay you for the unused vacation for the entire period of work. So make sure this is done.

You can talk with your boss about keeping your job, but on a part-time basis - often a company that is forced to take a big layoff has difficulties, and they use the services of former employees so as not to look for and train new ones.

You can also find out if there is a job in another division of the same company. Even if you are offered a lower salary during the transition, you should not immediately indignantly refuse - the important thing is that you will have income until you find a new job.

In addition, if you behave calmly in this situation, you will be able to contact your former boss with a request for recommendations and characteristics - this will help you with a new job. Moreover, it is possible that your boss will be able to recommend you to his friends and to other companies.

What if, nevertheless, the day has come when you do not need to rush to work? Organize your life for the period of involuntary unemployment. First of all, make a budget for the year, in which you take into account all the necessary expenses: utility bills, medical care, food, car, clothing. Now calculate what savings you have and income that may come in the near future.

Now try to keep costs as low as possible. Think about what you can give up. Maybe change the car for a cheaper one or start using public transport? You can change your mobile phone tariff, find a cheaper Internet provider, or refuse some purchases.

If you have outstanding loans, contact the bank and discuss the situation with a consultant, because any bank is interested in getting at least some money from you, and therefore can agree to concessions, for example, temporarily reduce loan payments or even what it's time to freeze them.

If you have the opportunity to get at least a temporary job, do not neglect it - even if you do not really like it, you can hold out without loss for some time until you find a permanent job.

And, of course, without wasting time, immediately start looking for a new job. In order not to miss a single opportunity, mark out for yourself what you would like to find, that is, what you are good at and love to do. But in the same way, list those items that are impossible for you, for example, business trips, etc. And, of course, determine for yourself the minimum wage that you need to maintain your previous standard of living.

Perhaps fate gives you a chance to change your profession, so try yourself in the business that is interesting to you, but is not your main profession. If the specialty that appeals to you requires additional knowledge, consider studying a little. Even a one-day training session can be the impetus for major changes.

Just because you don’t have to rush to work every day doesn’t mean you can afford to completely relax and lead a free lifestyle. On the contrary, you need to be even more collected than ever, so everyone start by making a plan of necessary things, and strictly follow it. Constantly read in the media, online job advertisements, send your resume to all addresses that seem to you at least a little in line with your interests, call potential employers, go to all interviews. When communicating with friends, talk about the fact that you are looking for a job - it is very important to be in the right place at the right time, because, "His Majesty the case" can turn up at any moment.

Be sure to maintain relationships with friends and relatives, lead a healthy lifestyle, that is, be out of the fresh air, eat normally, and in no case turn your life into a tragedy. Moreover, use the time of your job search to rest, improve your health and gain strength for further activities.

Pay close attention to preparing for interviews: practice the answers to the most common questions. At the interview, try not to be nervous, and do not consider every interview as a last chance - this is just another opportunity, which you will still have enough. Be open about why you were fired from your previous job and try to focus on what you can and want to do for the company so that the employer chooses you.

And of course, don't stop believing in luck. It is self-confidence and calmness that will be the very qualities that, when choosing a candidate for a vacant position, all other things being equal, will give an edge in your favor.

Work takes an important place in the life of a modern person. Belonging to a certain profession and social status, as well as having a permanent job, can increase self-esteem and self-confidence. At the same time, work is one of the main sources of stress for a person. He spends at work almost all the time, and his professional skills need constant confirmation and improvement. An equally serious stress is finding a job or losing it.

Almost from the very beginning of labor activity, and even earlier - from the moment of entering a higher or secondary educational institution, work turns into one of the main stress factors for a person. Today, many people are afraid not to find a job in their specialty, but, having found it, they are afraid of losing. Labor relations are built on fierce competition, which creates additional stress in the form of relationships with management and colleagues.

Higher education does not guarantee a quick job search in a specialty. Moreover, many managers choose employees based on personal subjective criteria and the possibility of their compliance with an established team. Many employers have mutually exclusive requirements for potential candidates, for example, “work experience of 5 years or more” and “age not older than 25 years”. In Russia and the CIS countries, workers are at risk after 35-40, and even top managers of large companies and strong salespeople are not insured against unemployment and stress.

Job loss occurs for various reasons - an economic crisis, downsizing or personal conflict with management. Even in large cities, job loss is a source of stress, not to mention small towns and small towns. Long and unsuccessful job searches are a common cause of negative emotions, neuroses and depression.

Highlights at work include wages, relationships with management and colleagues, overwork, too little or too much work. A rare employee just sits time in the office "from call to call." Most are forced to leave the workplace much later than 18.00 or 19.00. The schedule also has a negative effect on the psyche, in which the employee can be called even late in the evening or at night.

No less serious - the excess or lack of responsibilities. Some executives tend to overburden employees at no additional cost. Conversely, the lack of tasks also puts significant pressure on the employee's psyche - after all, the manager can at any time ask what has been done.

Even the most advanced and competent specialist may doubt his competence and not know whether his specialty will be in demand on the labor market and whether the current management will need it. Job loss is not always a voluntary initiative of the employee. Many fall prey to intrigue or mobbing from colleagues or management, and some are downsized.

For many, inviting a boss to talk and then announcing his resignation is a serious blow. A feeling of injustice, fear of the future, resentment - these are the negative emotions that a fired employee experiences. After all, the loss of a job for many means the loss of a source of funding for the family and a depressing feeling of timelessness and uncertainty.

Can being fired bring positive emotions?

Even if an employee is subconsciously ready to be fired and it is not a surprise to him, he experiences not the most positive ones. At this moment, the belief in the discovery of new opportunities is not able to console a person - after all, he loses not only a source of livelihood, but also confidence in the future for himself and his family. Men experience job loss more acutely than women. This leads to dangerous consequences in the form of alcoholism or depression.

The dismissed employee needs to make some efforts so as not to "break down" and not go headlong into dependence. You should not immediately rush to look for a new job, since a job seeker under stress will not be attractive to a new employer. If a person “holds the blow” calmly, then he begins to see in his condition not only minuses, but also pluses. One of the positive aspects is more time with family and children and attention to those things that previously did not have enough time due to work.

The loss of a job is especially difficult for people over 40. Employers perceive them as insufficiently flexible and trained, moreover, the age of the employee can make the younger boss experience an inferiority complex. Nevertheless, many find a way out of the situation, getting a job where they will appreciate their knowledge and experience, or organizing their own business.

On the one hand, one should not delay the search for a new job, on the other, it is unlikely that an effective solution would be to start it in a depressed state. You need to give yourself some time to understand your expectations of the new job and to live through all the stages of mourning. Also, during this difficult period, it will be useful to work with a psychologist.

How to survive being fired?

“Olga Ivanovna is 36 years old, for the last 2 years she worked as an accountant in a large organization, was a promising employee and dreamed of promotion. I heard the news of the dismissal from the new director, who took office a month ago.

The chief called to his office and said that the company no longer needed her services. Indifferently thanked for the work and offered to leave of his own free will. He spoke indistinctly about shortcomings in work, hinted at incompetence. It was not possible to achieve any specificity, general phrases.

Olga Ivanovna was shocked, she did not see the reasons for dismissal. Resentment, irritation, anger rolled up a lump in my throat. Uncertainty awaited her ahead ... "

Almost every person in life has faced dismissal. Abrupt changes associated with the loss of earnings, painful searches for work at an already elderly age only add to the fear of a new reality. How to survive being fired and keep faith in yourself? Why is the loss of a job so painful to self-esteem? How to find a decent new job?

Why is the dismissal so acute?

Almost always, the situation associated with dismissal is perceived painfully. The reason lies in our unconscious. The leader and the Company are perceived by us as the parental para-symbolic Father and Mother.

Father (leader): teaches, directs, develops (sends for negotiations, trainings, seminars); closely monitors achievements (monitors employee performance, reports, plan implementation); shows severity and generosity (punishes with a reprimand, scolds, fines, rewards).

Mother (Company): takes into his arms (collective); feeds, drinks (gives out a salary); develops (gives an opportunity for career growth); entertains (corporate events and holidays).

Losing your job is like breaking your bond with your symbolic parents. An employee, like a small child, feels that mom and dad no longer need him, he is no longer loved and driven away. From this it becomes painful and insulting. It is as if the child has become "bad", and the Mother, whatever she is, remains the Mother. You can no longer rely on the Father, he is more interested in other children.

Team (children of the Company and the Manager). The Child competed with them for the love of Dad and Mom, swore with them and had fun. And now, after the dismissal, the symbolic family is gone and no one can fill this place in the soul. Aggression, anger, depression are what a child feels when he has lost his place among brothers and sisters.

Feelings are quite understandable

There is no need to take this situation as a tragedy and go deep into melancholy. The relationship with the symbolic Father and Mother always ends when a joint activity, project, task ends. Relationships are not based on love, but on mutual benefit.

Many people, thanks to being fired, have finally found themselves, benefited from the situation and even became famous. Who knows, maybe fate is giving you a chance?

5 steps to beating a situation

You have opened a new chapter of your life biography, finally you have time for yourself, accumulated cases, forgotten hobbies and unfulfilled desires. It's time to take care of yourself!

Embrace a new experience.

Analyze what really happened, why were you fired? Consider the possible reasons: being late, a decrease in your efficiency at work, injustice from your bosses, your own laziness and fatigue, professional and emotional burnout? Or have you "reached the ceiling" in your position and you had nothing to strive for?

1. Your strengths.

What are your virtues? Perhaps you are a great organizer, a responsible executor, a great partner or workmate. What tasks did you do best?

2. Determine the motion vector.

Decide in which area you will continue to move further? All roads are open before you. You can improve in a field you are familiar with, or feel free to change your occupation. What do you want from a new job, position? Consider the opportunity to organize your business. Many successful people found themselves in entrepreneurship just after they quit their jobs.

Even after losing your favorite job, do not be discouraged. An important stage in your life has ended, there is a new one ahead, approach it responsibly. Do not blame everyone in a row for your troubles, do not blame yourself, do not engage in self-criticism. Make the right decisions about what not to do in your new job. Thanks to this situation, you have become wiser, your next choice will be conscious and correct.

4. Get ready for your new job.

In the process of finding a job, pump your professional skills. If internal blocks and fears prevent you from aiming for more, see a psychologist. Recover emotionally and keep working on yourself. One hundred percent win can only be in one competition, when you compete with yourself yesterday.

5. Work to your liking.

Work should be fun and enjoyable. Do what you like. The result is measured not only by salary, but also by the level of satisfaction from the business you are doing day in and day out.

Take action, everything is in your hands!

Dec 13, 2018 billh41235

WikiHow works like a wiki, which means that many of our articles are written by multiple authors. To create this article, 15 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.

Your boss invites you to the office, closes the door and says: "... we are not satisfied with the way you work in this position, so we made the decision to dismiss. Free up your workplace and get a settlement in the accounting department." How to deal with this situation without losing your dignity?

Steps

Give yourself a minute (or five) to recover from the shock and collect your thoughts. Take a breath. If you feel like crying, please - this will not change the situation, but it may help you to better overcome it by splashing out your emotions.

Perceive the situation correctly. Your first impulse may be to think of yourself as a bad employee, a person, or a failure in general, but that’s just a voice of panic. Instead, tell yourself, "I did the wrong job for myself." This is important: the work is not to blame and you are not to blame, it was the combination of work and you that did not work. So don't be ashamed of the situation. There are millions of reasons why a job doesn't work out, and none of them is 100% your fault.

Don't try to change your mind. You may be tempted to ask for another chance, but you must resist it. The decision was made and almost always irrevocable. Begging will only weaken your ability to negotiate further.

Negotiate the terms of your termination. The employer does not want unnecessary problems, in particular, to earn a bad reputation. So here's what you can negotiate:

• Agree on how the employer will be responsible if you contact him for a recommendation. The safest version of his answer: "Yes, he worked for us as an employee, but our organization has a policy of nondisclosure of performance evaluation."
• Ask for generous compensation. Demand payment of vacation and sick leave, as well as compensation that you think they can agree to - between one month and three months' salary. You may not be paid as much as you ask, but this is a good start to negotiations.
• Ask the employer to extend the VHI for a certain period.
• Ask for help finding a new job. Some employers offer the services of employment firms. If not, ask which organizations they would recommend for your job search. Perhaps they have information about vacancies.

1. Quit with dignity. Don't wait until the end of the working day - pack your things at the workplace and leave. If your colleagues stop you to say goodbye, thank them politely, but don't shake the walls with yells about what just happened to you. Never say anything bad about your boss or the company - burn all the bridges so you don't get hurt.

   Report the incident to your family immediately. Even if you are still in shock and shame, tell your family about what happened and discuss how you can all deal with it together. While your loved ones will experience shock and uncomfortable feelings too, in the long run it will be easier for you to start taking further action together.

   Give yourself time to recover. You will be tempted to start looking for a new job right away, but you need to give yourself time to get over what happened, get rid of shame and panic, and start thinking clearly. Take a couple of weeks to spend with your family and concentrate on your future plans.

2. Realize that this is not the end of the road. Even though it can be difficult at times, you shouldn't think about the fact that your whole life has ended with the termination of your job. Begin to see the situation as a turning point on the road to change for the better. Of course, this is a difficult time, but it can give you new opportunities.

   • Take the time to figure out if you want to stay in the same line of work or if you should try something different.
   • Your friends and coworkers may keep calling you for the first few days to see how you are doing. Refrain from talking to everyone. Let everyone know through one friend that you’re okay and that you’ve just taken some time off, and then call everyone back in the next few days, weeks, or months — no matter —.
   • Make sure that the termination is carried out in accordance with the terms of your employment contract and labor laws in general.
   • Be responsible. When you get home, cancel all but essential purchases and budget according to the funds you have. Develop a financial plan. This will reduce stress levels and keep you from grabbing the first job you come across.
   • Sometimes dismissal compensation is given under certain conditions: you cannot discuss the reasons for dismissal with anyone, you cannot discuss compensation conditions, you cannot speak negatively about the company or its management, you cannot go to work for competitors, and so on. If you violate these conditions, compensation may be recovered from you back through the courts.
   • Get official written confirmation of the company's intentions.
   • As a rule, after a notice of dismissal, access to a personal computer is closed. Accordingly, (since you are reading this article, you have not been fired yet) today, coming to work:
     • Send to your personal email address all personal information from your computer that you would like to keep after you leave: personal mail, examples of work materials, recipes from your colleagues - whatever. Don't send all this from your work address, go to your personal mail and send from there.
     • Make copies of all the files you want to keep (document templates, work materials, contacts) and take home.

   Warnings

   • Resist the urge to call colleagues and complain about the company and its management.
   • When you come home, do not try to pack your things and leave the city. Running away from problems only aggravates the situation, and besides, moving to another city for no apparent reason is a red rag for employers. Better to update your resume and post it on relevant sites.