cents.”
There are more deep-seated emotional implications
for those who are laid off after years of steady employment. “When there’s a layoff,” said management psychologist Neil P. Lewis, “it’s not just losing a paycheck, but losing a bit of your self-concept.”
In fact, psychologists have noted that the trauma of
being laid off is similar to the trauma associated with
the death of a loved one and with divorce. Initial shock
gives way to anger, which in turn leads to grief and
then acceptance. “Some people go through it all in two
days,” says Lewis. “Others take weeks and months.”
The emotional toll is also seen in that those laid off
become more susceptible to alcohol and drug abuse.
Despair can even lead to family violence or breakup.
“Those feelings have to go somewhere,” stated Stephen
Pilster-Pearson, director of employee assistance at the
University of Wisconsin, U.S.A., “and one of those
places, of course, is home.”
In an even more tragic reaction, a university graduate in Hong Kong chose to end his life after five years
of unemployment. He stepped into the path of an oncoming train.
So when jobs are lost, more than the wallet is affected.
Thus, it is imperative to see beyond the financial aspect
of the problem. Highly charged emotions are involved,
and families must pull together and unitedly work at
solutions,
Out Of a Job—What Are the Solutions?
“It’s going to be brutal. Many businesses
are broke, but won’t admit it yet.”—U.S.
financier.
MANY have already experienced the harsh reality
of that dire prediction, made late in 1990. In some
companies, “surviving” employees wondered if they
would be next to be laid off.
What would you do if you lost your job today? It is
the course of wisdom to be prepared. As the previous
article pointed out, losing a job carries a financial as
well as an emotional impact. Therefore, more is involved than simply paying the bills. Following are
some guidelines that have