Talking about layoffs
My first layoff was horrible. After losing my job I was drinking heavily for almost half a year and basically lost everything. It&#x27;s a miracle I even survived the experience in some ways because things got pretty dark at one point.<p>And to be fair it was largely my fault for not being able to cope, but the brutality of the process was something that was difficult for me to understand at the time. I&#x27;m autistic and I tend to be very naive about human relationships. I was working at this place for about 5 years and thought the people I worked with were my friends, even my boss. When I got let go there was no warning - which I now know is normal. I was just finishing up one Friday afternoon and I got a call from my boss basically telling me not to come back on Monday. I didn&#x27;t understand... I asked why and got some BS explanation, but I took it seriously and tried to propose alternative solutions confused as to why they weren&#x27;t listening. I then tried to thank them for the time and say goodbye to the team, but I immediately got cut off from all my communication tools (I was working remote at the time). I was so stupid I actually thought they&#x27;d call me on Monday and ask me to come back because this was so out of character for how my friends normally treated me. Man I was such an idiot...<p>Obviously now I know this is standard corporate practise, but at the time it was such a surprise that someone would do something so cruel. The experience has completely altered the trust I have for people in my life, probably irreparably, and I&#x27;m now constantly on edge about the same thing happening to me again.<p>I know layoffs are something that have to happen, but these experiences are hard on people and it&#x27;s crazy to me how unsympathetic employers can be. Why don&#x27;t they find it harder to turn sometimes life upside down? Why don&#x27;t they ever seem to care emotionally about what they&#x27;re doing?<p>This is good article. Layoffs are something we should probably talk about more as a society.<p>If you know someone who&#x27;s been layed off, please make sure they know you&#x27;re there for them. Just knowing they&#x27;re not alone and that people are there and care can take so much weight their shoulders.