Fired for Now: Getting fired, laid off, and hired again

You can’t finish up a year without 10-Best-Lists appearing everywhere, not to mention 10-Worst-Lists too. So it only figures that someone came up with the 10 Worst Employees of the Year. This one seems to have originated with CareerBuilder.com (10 Worst Employees 2008) and it’s proliferated like mosquitoes in a swamp across the media, both on and offline.

On the other hand, the list naming the 10 Worst Corporations of 2008 hardly made a dent in the media rounds. (10 Worst Corporations of 2008). Do we take more delight in the fall of the individual, more specifically, in ordinary … Continue Reading

Today, the New York Times reported that 30 states are in danger of running out of money to pay unemployment benefits to the record number of jobless.  Many of these states will resort to borrowing money from the federal government to support their unemployed citizens, an option already exercised by Michigan and Indiana whose unemployment funds have run dry.

Now, the federal help doesn’t come at face value. It’s a loan, and if the state doesn’t pay the loan back within the federal fiscal year, the state must pay the federal government … Continue Reading

Two weeks ago I was told I was fired. I packed up my things, was escorted out of the building and drove home in a state of shock, confusion and general wretchedness. I started writing this blog the same day.

It turns out I was doing the best thing for me. Not only is writing proven to be good for managing your emotions during a time of stress, but it actually predicts a better outcome.

James Pennebaker is a psychologist at The University of Texas at Austin and has spent more than 25 years studying the benefits of writing about personal trauma.

He’s … Continue Reading

This morning I learned of another casualty in the firing wars.

In Vancouver yesterday, a 62-year-old man who had recently been let go returned to his place of work and opened fire at the company Christmas party. He shot and killed his former boss before surrendering to police.

This is the second time in just over two weeks that the firing of an employee has ended in death. The first was in Alaska where a recently-fired employee showed up at the hospital where he used to work and killed two former associates, including … Continue Reading

Watching daily reports of the auto industry crisis brings up some questions for me about our economic troubles. That’s because I’m a white collar worker, or as the pundits have described, someone who gets showered before going to work rather than after. And now that I’m an unemployed white collar worker, I have to admit that I’m seeing the unfolding events through a self-serving lens now. I certainly don’t want the domestic auto industry to collapse, but it’s hard not to look at your own situation and wonder how things are going to be addressed.

Yesterday, the U.S. reported … Continue Reading

There’s a saying I always thought had a lot of truth to it: “If you want something done, ask a busy person.”

I used to be that person. The person who knew how to juggle 18 balls at once, slip in a few bowling pins to the juggling arsenal or even add some fire sticks, and still deliver. Of course, there’s a question if that’s healthy or unhealthy, but I digress. Suddenly now I’m very unbusy. And I can see how being unbusy leads to being even less busy. And … Continue Reading

The company I worked for of about 120 people had a small HR department. One person exactly. And judging from a phone call I received from her yesterday, hers is not an easy job, and not an easy job to get right.

She called to check up on me and see how I was doing. Given the firing was unexpected with no lead-up, she knew I received the news with a good dose of shock and confusion.

So I was somewhat pleased when I picked up the voice mail from her yesterday.

“Hi, it’s _____, I was just calling … Continue Reading

About the only reasons I’ve had to leave the house since losing my job 5 days ago are walking my dog and running to the grocery store.  And neither requires a dress code.

Now, there are actually a lot of advantages to dressing down.  It takes no time at all. You don’t end up with 6 different tops or pairs of pants strewn around the bedroom that just weren’t working after changing 3 times. You cut down on laundry. The bathroom stays tidy. There’s no such thing as a bad hair day.  Almost.

But today I had a reason … Continue Reading

I love listening to music in the car. It’s a completely private space that doesn’t include work, family or responsibility. Add a favorite CD and I’m infused with a kind of peace and energy that I derive only from music.

But since losing my job, I’ve started up my car, let’s see…uh, zero times. I’ve been doing a lot of networking on the computer and phone, but so far, I’ve had no need to actually get anywhere.

Then there’s the kitchen. It’s the other place I love listening to music. Preparing a meal surrounded by my tunes gives me a sense of … Continue Reading

Getting fired has the certified seal of trauma.

On the Holmes and Rahe stress scale it ranks as less stressful than death, divorce and imprisonment.

But it ranks as more stressful than mortgage foreclosure, pregnancy, serious illness of a family member or even gaining a new family member. (I think that means having a baby, and by my recollection, that can be pretty stressful.)

Yet I’ve noticed in communicating with people about my new jobless state that I’m quick to say I’m doing okay. There’s a tendency to downplay the real impact of this seismic stressor. I’ll get through this. It’s only temporary. … Continue Reading