this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2024
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[–] [email protected] 62 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Soul crushing.

Worked at a place for 16 years, made many close friends there, helped the company grow from a $2M company into a $2B company. Then one day they decided that it looked like they might not be add profitable in the coming quarter so they needed to cut 20% of the company. I was my family's sole provider and now wasn't sure how we were going to survive. I did get a nice severance of 6 months pay, but only 3 months of COBRA coverage. I was very fortunate to find a better paying job a little over 3 months later. Financially it was a good thing for us, but mentally I'm pretty fucked up now. I've never had anxiety issues but now I'm on 2 different medications for it. I'm depressed. I hate my new job and coworkers. I have no joy in work. I know if I get laid off again that I won't get nearly as good of a severance package. I realize that my lifestyle only exists as long as my employer chooses to keep me employed. I feel like I not only have no safety net, but if I fall I take my family with me. It sucks.

[–] MagicShel 20 points 2 months ago

I've been there. Posted my story, but I didn't talk about the lifelong anxiety that comes with a lengthy layoff. Continually pursued higher pay at shittier jobs to try to get ahead of things for when the rug gets pulled out from under me again. It's corrosive. Losing income and insurance when everyone is counting on you to provide makes you feel like your self-worth is completely tied to your job and ability to provide.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

It is amazing that. You pour your life and soul into something, taking pride in seeing your work flourish... only for them to slap you in the face like that whilst making it clear that despite the "we're a family, so please do your best" rhetoric, it does not extend both ways.

And for what? Because their share price wasn't going up as much as they wanted, despite the company being profitable for decades? I'm sick of shareholders wants hollowing out the hard work that loyal employees generated for them

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

The system was built by sociopaths.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

The system doesn’t care if sociopaths exploit it; there is no empathy line item in capitalism.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Same for me, but 13 years. No one mentions the shame and isolation. I felt like a disease that no one wanted to be around.

If I ran into any old colleagues, it was clear they pitied me. The ones that did stay in contact just wanted the "gossip" (there was none), or wanted confirmation that I was somehow to blame so they could be comforted in knowing it won't happen to them.

I "didn't do anything to deserve this", but it's hard not to take it personally. The ruminating -- trying to understand "why me, and not someone else" -- hasn't stopped.

The betrayal and shame is overwhelming.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Your comment has made me understand this better than anything I've previously read has. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago

Thank you for saying this 💔

[–] [email protected] 46 points 2 months ago

One time, we were given six month’s wages plus a month’s wages for each year we had worked there (I had been there 12 years). The company paid for career counseling, resume training, self awareness (similar to Myers Briggs only it was useful), use of an office space and computers and printers to hunt for jobs.

Another time, we were told that our entire IT department wasn’t important enough to keep and our jobs had been outsourced to India. But they still wanted us to stay for four weeks and train our replacements. Bitch, if I’m not important enough to keep, then I’m not important enough to train anyone. I collected my stuff and walked out that day.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Weird angel investor took us all out to a fancy dinner and made a weird extensive speech about the importance of the future; kind of “Godspeed my young protégés I know you’ll do wonderful things.” Kind of sounded like he finally believed in us and wanted to let us know with a nice gesture. Idk. No one could make any sense of it.

The next day his lackey informed us we were all fired. Oooh, that’s what that was about; makes sense, oh well, we have to get real jobs now apparently.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Lol what the hell, your old boss is fucked in the head

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 months ago

He was a weird motherfucker in several different ways

He had money though. That’s the great thing about money; you can just kind of motor around with whatever priorities you want and for the most part no one intervenes or tells you to stop

[–] MagicShel 30 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Which time?

First time happened after I'd been with my first real job for ten years because the business was changing and there wasn't a role for me. I was out of work for 7 shitty months trying to have my own business starting from the few customers we had left when they let me go. It was right after I bought a house and had a baby. It was fucking awful.

Second time was after COVID. First we all took a 10% pay cut to avoid layoffs. Then two months later when federal assistance expired, they cut 1/3 of the company across the board. I'm a little fucking bitter about that to be honest, but I had a new remote job lined up within a couple of weeks that paid quite a bit better.

Last time was 5 months ago. Just got hired this week. Start next month. It sucked. Wiped out my whole retirement savings, so I get to start over at 51. But we made it through and potentially I won't have to switch companies again.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

My partner was the only one holding her company together as operations manager. She got put on a HUGE project and promised two weeks vacation after, then laid off right before the vacation. Now the company is trying to make her sign a contract that forces her to give up her severance in exchange for four weeks of labor.

On the bright side, the professional relationships she built outside the company are paying off, and she has a dozen or so job leads

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I worked many years at places where I really despised the work. Finally found a job which I liked and made few good friends. Pay was good, was being appreciated for being good at my work, I felt happy being at work in office. Covid19 and was asked to resign as part of layoffs. Me and one of my best friends in office used to say that this is the final job for us where we shall retire from. A month after being laid off got a call from him and could sense he was clearly not doing well. He died few days later.

Though it's been 4 years but the hurt of losing that job and my good friend remains.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 2 months ago

"asked to resign as part of layoffs"

The sheer audacity. "Please quit so we don't have to pay you severance or unemployment." It boils the blood.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago

I was with a SaaS company for 5 years. It was my first job in software. I busted my ass and worked my way up. I ended up managing the support department while leaning how to code in my spare time. I move to Engineering and was a developer for two years.

The company had a great culture and I was genuinely proud to work there.

Then a growth equity firm came in. They said they weren't going to change the "magic" we had and were just there to give us the tools and expertise to grow. That is when the steady erosion of our company culture began.

The third CE0 since I've been there took over a few months ago. Of course he promised there would be no layoffs and he didn't see a need to change anything. Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, I was getting panicked messages from coworkers saying they were getting let go and then I saw the 15-minute meeting with my department head on my calendar.

When the dust settled, the first layoffs at our company were over. A third of our engineering department was gone and our work was being outsourced to an outside firm.

Now I'm looking for work and it seems really daunting. My wife is self-employed and lost her biggest client that made up 80% of her income right before I got laid off. I got 4 weeks of severance initially, but I was able to negotiate 8 weeks.

Now I'm reaching out to my network, applying to as many jobs as I can find, building more portfolio projects to pad my GitHub account, and believing things will work out so I don't have a complete nervous breakdown.

I don't recommend it. Don't be laid off.

[–] JackbyDev 12 points 2 months ago

I was laid off in late July of 2023. I dodged a massive layoff in November of 2022 so I knew it was a possibility.

It fucking sucked. I miss that company. I miss it all. It made me feel worthless. I kept comparing myself to the others that didn't get laid off as if there was any sense made in the decision.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 months ago (1 children)

I get work through my skilled trades union. We're constantly getting hired onto jobs and laid off when the work is complete. Jobs can last 1 shift, up to a few months, or even years. Getting laid off is a time for celebration after being on the job for a while.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

And for completing your segment of the work. A worthy celebration indeed.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 2 months ago (1 children)

For me it was fine, maybe about 15 years ago. Small startup company I was at ran out of funding, we got something like 1-2 months severance. We all got along fine so it wasn't like everyone hated the job or the owners, sometimes startup companies just don't make it through those first few years.

Summer is probably the best time to be unemployed, spent a lot of time exploring my neighborhood during the weekday afternoons and was practicing making cold brew & other summer drinks LOL.

Was doing freelance work while being on unemployment / looking for a new steady job. Think it was about 4-5 months before I landed a new job (did get 1-2 job offers during that time but was maybe being a bit picky & turned them down).

... Also helps that I keep savings so short term unemployment won't wreck me. I've seen posts about people being out of work for years, that would be a far worse scenario.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

I can imagine in a small startup with good interpersonal relationships it hurts less. I was never laid off but I worked in a small company like that and there were risky periods. It might have been an exception among most companies but we all had access to the revenue and expense data. There can be no surprises if everyone knows the financials.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

I started a consulting business with my dad in 2021. We were growing well for the first 18 months. In about 2022 we saw a HUGE decline in the industry. Many of our competitors went out of business. Some shrank by 75% or more. We lost $250k in 2023 and the actual drag was our leadership team. So I, along with 2 other leaders, were laid off at the end of last year. I am proud to say we did not lay off any staff. I got a job at a giant company that pays me a shit ton to do the job of a monkey. I hate it there.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

There were signs it was coming, but I didn’t really accept it. When it did happen it was pretty distressing, but I had been planning to leave anyway. It ended up working out because I got to leave with some extra runway. They gave us 60 days notice, during which time we collected paychecks. I didn’t work at all during this time though. Instead I searched for a job. At the end of the 60 days we got about 6 weeks worth of pay, a prorated bonus, and our vacation days. I ended up finding a job that paid 3x as much before my 60 days were up and was able to pocket the severance money rather than live off it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

My company laid off a percentage of the workforce randomly, i.e. by lottery, or so they said. I’m 95% sure it really was random, because they laid off one of my coworkers, when, if they had any sense about them, they’d have laid off me. Worse still, he needed the job much more than I did.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I was working up in Whistler back in my twenties, at the end of the season, they lay everybody off except for a small crew of full-time employees. I went on to EI(employment insurance) for the summer pretended to look for jobs, and went on road trips with friends. Once summer finished, I found another job and I have unfortunately been employed ever since in various Warehouse jobs from order picker to warehouse manager.

Edit: Added words

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What is breaking, and what is El?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It was meant to be "working up in Whistler" but I didn't check my voice typing.

EI is what you get when you get laid off in BC. I don't know if they still call it that anymore.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

I thought those were skiing or biking or local terms I just didn't know since I've never being skiing or to Whistler, haha. I read EL rather than ei like thinking it was referring to a place everyone from that area would know that started with those letters. This makes much more sense now.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 months ago

I was laid off in January, I had worked as an IT technician for the company in 8 years, I got a great severance package and in March I started on my current job, even had time for a vacation between jobs and got to see the south of spain.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There were a bunch of closed door meetings with upper management and the busy season was set to end in a few weeks, so the writing was on the wall.

I had some of the most consistently highest metrics so I went into our VP of Operations office and straight up asked if I would be let go on X date. He told me no.

To be fair, he kept his word. About 70% of the staff were let go on that date. I was let go 2 days after that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

That's cool. At least he was honest. /s

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 months ago

15yo me gets an angry phone call from the dad where I'd scored a weekly long-term babysitting gig after the first or second night: don't think for a second that you're coming back! (I'm paraphrasing here).

I give a one-word reply and he hangs up.

All I did was leave after getting paid without saying bye while they were checking on the kids. (They were asleep). Because I didn't want to be coerced to get a ride like last time.

Took me years to realise they were in the wrong.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 months ago

I recently took a voluntary lay off from my job after almost 20 years with the company. I found out my dept was going to be reorganized and I was not very happy about the direction things were going, so I put myself on the severance list. I had been planning to look for a new role this year anyway, though I originally thought I would be looking for something in the same company.

It has been a couple of months now and I'm getting fewer interviews than I expected. I still have plenty of time to find something, so I'm not too worried yet, but I do question if I made a bad decision. Of course, I expect more layoffs within the next year, so it was reasonably likely that I would have been laid off eventually anyway.

Last year's reorg for my dept, they broke into two rounds, the first round mostly got rid of supervisors and managers and kept more analysts than were needed long-term to get through all the work changes. Then, in December, they came back and laid off the extra staff. They knew that was the plan when everything was announced in April. They actually discussed telling people up front so they would have 8 months notice + severance, but decided not to at the last minute. I'm guessing they were worried those people would leave or not work hard enough through the transition.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

Got laid off four times when I was a temp worker for all of them. First time was when a major customer had a downturn in the oil market and I was the obvious choice by being one of the latest hires. I was brought in for a 15 minute meeting in the only conference room of the office and perp walked out by my asshole manager that same hour.

The other three were due to the contracts timing out (CA law forces companies to either convert contract workers to FTE after 2 years or lay them off). It's a lot less shocking when you know the date but it still sucks to count down the time. It didn't hurt to leave so much considering temp workers were treated as second class citizens like being excluded from company parties or not receiving bonuses so it was hard to get attached.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 months ago

The element of surprise.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 months ago

I grew antagonistic toward mgmt through the pan. The books were bad and there were two rounds of layoffs. I was included in the first round. They actually did me a favor because I was unhappy but too lazy to look for a different job. I got a better job (in every way - commute, pay, workload, etc) six months later. I'm approaching one year at the new gig.

I was unusually lucky.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Dude. Those stories all suck and make. To explain mine sounds like complaining about nothing, but I started the thread, so I'll tell it.

It's not exactly being laid off. I am a Visiting Assistant Professor at a liberal arts college. Our duties are primarily teach, and we work on one year contracts. I went into my chair's office to show her an online homework system I deployed on a 15 year old optiplex, because fuck the publisher. She was really impressed but that was when she gave me the news.

Now I've not had my contract renewed before (fucking assholes gas lit me about it last time), but this is where it becomes a layoff. The college didn't renew ANY of the VAP contracts.

The part that sucks about this is I love my department. Typically VAPs teach only intro courses, but they let me teach a junior level computational physics class. They understood I had a lot offer, and they gave me a shot. I love this department and it sucks to go.

I have one more shot. The provost really wants an interdisciplinary data analytics program. The head of it contacted me to teach a course. I emailed him telling I would but can't do it. Here's the kicker. As far as I know, I'm the only one who has done computational work with the humanities. I pitched him on creating a different position, he seemed interested, but this was last week.

I have my fingers crossed, but am not holding out hope. It's also worth mentioning. All of this comes from the buisiness and finance division. Academic affairs (the faculty) is pissed about it. The two have been feuding for a long time anf academic affairs almost always loses. I think it is a general lack of leadership from all levels and just generally paying too much to their own research, but that is another post haha

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Was your position like an adjunct? I've heard those can be a real scam in the academia world.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 months ago

No I have a full time position with insurance etc