When a Midwest hospital reorganized its social-work department and moved it under the rubric of nursing, the director didn't appreciate his resulting demotion and return to a direct service role. The director couldn't afford to quit outright, but he decided to work on developing an effective search strategy that would enable him to find something else quickly. If that didn't work out, he planned to develop a private counseling practice. If he was going to do direct service, he wanted to get paid real money for it!
Knowing how and when to get out of an abusive employment situation is an important vocational skill. While you shouldn't ever plant your flag around issues and concerns that don't really bother you, you do need the gumption to say when necessary, "I refuse to let life (or my employer) do this to me."
If you can't make peace with the new terms of your employment, you must find a way to walk away. Whatever you do, don't be a victim. There's no pleasure in the role and no opportunity for the future. Stand up and be counted instead. You'll be better off for having made the effort.
Even if they're relieved to still have a job, layoff survivors experience mostly downbeat emotions about their work situations. In Healing the Wounds (1993, Jossey-Bass), author David Noer describes the following survivor fears and concerns:
- Job insecurity. This effect cuts across all levels. People go home at night wondering whether they'll still have a job tomorrow, next week or next month.
- Lack of management credibility. After a downsizing, management becomes the ubiquitous "they." Even executives blame higher-ups for their problems and try to separate themselves from them. Apparently, there's still some gratification in being a victim, not the oppressor. Also, employees often feel that the wrong people got "kept," while the "good guys" got kicked out.
- Depression, stress and. fatigue. Such symptoms are common at all levels of the organization. Battle fatigue is bound to set in when you must do more work with less resources at a time when your motivation is at an all-time low.
- Distrust and betrayal. These are everywhere. A "watch-your-back" attitude becomes prevalent, creating a hostile, alienated workforce and workplace.
- Lack of reciprocal commitment. Some employees maintain loyalty to their employer; however, no one believes the company will do the same.
- Wanting it to be over. Workforce reductions are draining and stressful. You may feel like you're hanging on by a thread waiting for it all to end.
- Poor planning and communication. In a workplace that's likely characterized by secrecy, mistrust and power struggles, employees thirst for direct communication, more information and some little sign that a benign authority is in charge somewhere.
- Short-term thinking. Management usually gets pinned with the greed label-as fixated on short-term profits. This perception is sometimes true, but not always. Some companies try to balance concern for next quarter's profits with long-term goals.
- Permanent instability. Employees feel that change-and not necessarily for the better-will be a constant at the company forever more.
- Long-lasting wounds. The Noer research shows that even five years after a downsizing, the survivor syndrome lingers on in the form of fatigue, decreased motivation, sadness, depression, insecurity, anxiety, fear and anger. Add to that a sense of resignation and psychic numbing and you have a prescription for a demoralized workforce desperately in need of emotional repair.
- Have you ever survived a corporate restructuring? (If you answered "no," please skip to question 11.)
- What's the toughest organizational challenge your employer is facing?
- How would you advise your employer to handle that problem?
- What happened to your job when your organization downsized?
- Are you satisfied with your new role?
- Do you have enough time and resources to do your new job? If not, is there any way you can gain greater control over the situation?
- Do you have a new boss as a result of the downsizing?
- If you have a new boss, do you feel that your boss is someone you can work with?
- If you don't get along with your new boss, is there anything you can do to improve that relationship?
- Can you transfer to a different department or division?
- If you've never been through a downsizing, what do you imagine it will be like? What do you think will happen to your job?
- Do you know anyone who survived a downsizing? Is there anything you can learn from that person's experience?
- Do you think your company might go through a downsizing in the future?
- If you answered "yes" to question 13, what are you doing to prepare yourself for that day?
- If you answered "nothing" to question 14, is there anything you can do to prepare yourself now (e.g., start networking within the organization, write your resume, join a professional group)?
- Who do you share your anxieties and concerns with? Are these people helpful?
- If your support system isn't helpful, have you considered professional assistance?
