Do you feel guilty for surviving a layoff?

[bignateyk]

They just laid off 20% of the engineers in our division, and forced another 20% to go part time. :\ Some of them were pretty damn good engineers. I'm pretty good at my job, but so were some of them. Not sure why I was completely unaffected by the shakeup.

 

[Veliko]

Not really. I sometimes feel guilty after running around shouting "I still have my job" though.

 

[yh125d]

No. Then again theres only been one round of layoffs in my time as a professional, and I was on the short list

 

[Vette73]

Guilty, no. But I would start looking for another job ASAP. Either you could be next or the company could be going under.

 

[jlee]

I've already been laid off, but no, I don't think I would.

 

[yllus]

There is in fact a documented "survivor's guilt" phenomenon for this situation, so at the least don't think that your feelings are abnormal.

 

[RaistlinZ]

Maybe the ones who were laid off were much higher paid and the company is trying to save money. Or, they were just plain slackers and the company was trimming some dead weight.

But like the other poster said, start looking for new opportunities asap.

 

[Jeff7]

Yeah, kind of, particularly because the one round of layoffs resulted in another member of my department being let go. She was here for at least a year longer than I was (it was only my first year). I guess they figured my skillset was more valuable?...or else there were office politics going on, who knows.
I'm still here now, working on my second year with the company, after about 5 rounds of layoffs in total. Lots of cutbacks.

 

[Juddog]

I was at a company that started laying people off. I survived the first two rounds, then my turn came and I was out. By the time I was laid off, the market was saturated and I couldn't pick up another job in my field in the area so I had to move.

 

[ViviTheMage]

I've already been laid off, but no, I don't think I would.

You're not a cop anymore? or you were laid off, but picked up another job?

 

[Texashiker]

Do you feel guilty for surviving a layoff?

I do not feel guilty, but I do feel bad for people who got laid off.

 

[Vette73]

I was at a company that started laying people off. I survived the first two rounds, then my turn came and I was out. By the time I was laid off, the market was saturated and I couldn't pick up another job in my field in the area so I had to move.

THIS!!!

That is why you should start looking now unless you know something that says you will have a job and they will not hold you back.

All those laid off people have a head start on you.

 

[alrocky]

"Guilty" is the wrong sentiment as you had no hand in their layoff. Remember that whatever feelings you have, it's far better to be working than to be in their shoes looking for a job and worrying about their bills.

You also may wish to start that emergency fund.

 

[dfuze]

I've survived a few rounds of layoffs the last couple years. I don't feel guilty, but I do feel bad for those who didn't make it.

 

[Jeffg010]

I had been at my place since 1999. I watch a bunch of cuts since I been here. I started out as a temp that turned into a contractor. As a contractor there was a big rumor that cuts were going to happen. At this point I had been there 3 years and out of the blue I get an e-mail with a job posting. At first the job description sounded nothing like what I wanted but someone whispered in my ear that it was the job I was doing but full time. At the time I did not realize what was happening. I ended up taking the job and anther guy was let go. Every department lost at least one person if not more. That was the worst cuts I have been involved with because it affected the whole company. I don’t feel bad for taking that guys job because he was a real moron when it came to fixing computers but it was still ruff watching all those people get cut. We are talking hundreds of people.

The second cut involved my own department. From what I understand I was to be let go but I was saved. They let go 2 from my department. The one guy was an arrogant bastard and thought he should only do the best projects and always complained about it so out he goes. The other guy they were going to keep but right before the cuts he was not showing up for work calling off all the time and ran out of sick days started using vacations days and not even calling in when he did not show up for work. Our team lead was pissed and she had some words with the manager about it and that how I got to keep my job. We went from 5 to 3 on my team, the lead, anther coworker, and me. This one I was happy about because I got to watch that arrogant pick walk out the door. He always fucked with me and did shitty pranks to my pc and what ever else crap he could do to try and piss me off.

The 3rd cut happen when we merged with anther large company. After about 8 months they did the cuts but this time around they keep the people for 6 months. 3 people we let go and I got the worst job which was tech support for the call center. On top of that I had to train with the guy they were getting rid of talk about an award situation. I had to be as nice as possible to this guy because he was my only link on how the call center works and runs. He was let go because he and anther manager never see eye to eye. I had 3 months to learn it and that is my current job.

 

[spidey07]

They just laid off 20% of the engineers in our division, and forced another 20% to go part time. :\ Some of them were pretty damn good engineers. I'm pretty good at my job, but so were some of them. Not sure why I was completely unaffected by the shakeup.

It's because you're good at what you do. Take it as a compliment and carry on being awesome. They don't can the top performers, they keep them. They can the bottom performers.

 

[jupiter57]

Ha! 30 years in Construction, I was typically about mid term in layoff rounds.
No matter how good you were or how hard you worked, someones Brother, Brother-in-Law, Nephew, drinking buddy, etc. were nearly always the last to go.

My last job, though (12 years, Management), I was the last to go when things got slow in 2003, and the first called back! I was amazed.
Last year when it got slow again, I just retired.
They will call me to come back though, I am sure, (if they stay in business!) but it depends on circumstances as to whether I return.

I am tired & retired.

 

[Phokus]

It's because you're good at what you do. Take it as a compliment and carry on being awesome. They don't can the top performers, they keep them. They can the bottom performers.

LoL, you actually think that's the case, it's cute how childlike your worldview is.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

The worst I ever felt was when I was an IT manager and got the layoff list ahead of time. One of my friends happened to be on the list. Well, rumors were circulating in the office and she came to me and asked me if I knew if she was being laid off. Of course, I had to tell her I had no idea.

 

[Vette73]

It's because you're good at what you do. Take it as a compliment and carry on being awesome. They don't can the top performers, they keep them. They can the bottom performers.

I would rank ability as 3rd in terms of staying or going.

1: Does your boss and your boss's boss like you and stick up for you even if you are paid well and/or not that great?
YES: good job, you made the cut
NO: See 2

2: Are you paid highly/above average?
YES: You may be cut and are on a list of those to look at, get resume ready and see 3.
NO: See 3

3: Are you REALLY! good at what you do compared to other in the same pay group?
YES: You may make the cut, don't F__K up now.
NO: Get that resume updated STAT.

 

[Vette73]

The worst I ever felt was when I was an IT manager and got the layoff list ahead of time. One of my friends happened to be on the list. Well, rumors were circulating in the office and she came to me and asked me if I knew if she was being laid off. Of course, I had to tell her I had no idea.

WHAT!?!?!? You didn't take her to bennigans to come up with a plan to... :sneaky:

 

[IndyColtsFan]

LoL, you actually think that's the case, it's cute how childlike your worldview is.

At the last company I worked for, our network engineer was a guy who had been laid off a few times in his career. Well, once we got to know him and work with him, it wasn't a mystery why he was the one that was consistently let go. He was a great guy and really nice, but he was generally really lazy and that didn't go unnoticed. When our department was eliminated, he was the only one that was actually laid off. They found positions for the rest of us.

On the other hand, I've seen a lot of deadweight survive layoffs. There was a guy at my last company who survived several rounds of layoffs and he was notorious for taking naps in the bathroom. He was a suck up and had an MBA (which he didn't use) and that's why they kept him around. The worst that happened to him was when they temporarily "furloughed" him but shockingly, they called him back.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

WHAT!?!?!? You didn't take her to bennigans to come up with a plan to... :sneaky:

I saw her in the parking lot with this guy after she was laid off:

The building was NOT burned down, however.

 

[Phokus]

I would rank ability as 3rd in terms of staying or going.

1: Does your boss and your boss's boss like you and stick up for you even if you are paid well and/or not that great?
YES: good job, you made the cut
NO: See 2

2: Are you paid highly/above average?
YES: You may be cut and are on a list of those to look at, get resume ready and see 3.
NO: See 3

3: Are you REALLY! good at what you do compared to other in the same pay group?
YES: You may make the cut, don't F__K up now.
NO: Get that resume updated STAT.

My Boss at my last company laid off someone who should've been the last person to be laid off.

This person, a hispanic girl who knew fluent Spanish: she wasn't the best in the department, but she wasn't the worst, I would say average, but her language skills were absolutely critical. Our whole department's existence was based on interacting with finance and logistics people in all of Latin America and we needed translation help from this girl often. The biggest underperformer in our department was also our manager's best friend and socialized a LOT with each other (i'm talking going out for drinks and shit). Rather than letting the ditz go, they fucking layoff the only Spanish speaker in our group, i highly suspect because she didn't socialize that often.

 

[Exterous]

I've been through two rounds layoffs (one was 20% of our office and one was ~20% of the company) and one complete company tanking. I felt bad for some of the people but never guilty. I take pride in my work, work hard and do my best to improve the company I work for.