Turns out, being laid off has started to feel like another Tuesday for many people. So weird and sad that it has gotten so normalised in Europe and this does not sit well with me.
Why? What happens in layoffs stays behind closed doors. In Germany, we don’t know how companies communicate and execute layoffs – and what consequences it has for employees.
Zero transparency. Zero accountability. Maybe I start a movement of dignified layoffs, who knows.
Another piece is the emotional impact a layoff has on your professional confidence and how you approach your network afterwards. How do you move on with your job search? And if you decide to build something of your own – how does a layoff keep influencing you? We started treating layoffs as something so normal, but they are not – for our psyche they are still an insanely abnormal event.
If you’ve been laid off, try reaching out to your former boss. The feeling is not great, there is a certain taboo and awkwardness, on both sides.
And in the middle of all of it are immigrants, whom I want to help most. Being on a visa, not speaking the language, not understanding the cultural norms of negotiating in Germany, not knowing your rights – it adds such a damn layer of complexity to an already fucked up emotional experience.
If I can help more immigrants in Germany avoid questionable decisions in the negotiation and come out stronger after a layoff, I’ll feel that I am really, truly doing something good. And I am so happy to see that it is already happening.
Leave a Reply