Redundancy Action
I am watching friends and family members go through the redundancy process, or possible redundancy which seems almost worse. This is where you know redundancy is coming for some people in the team but you don’t know who is staying and who is going; or you know redundancy is probable but you don’t know when – like waiting for the axe to drop; or where amalgamation of companies means everyone must reapply for a shrinking number of jobs.
Each of these scenarios brings its own types of stress. At least when you know you are being made redundant and you know when, you have the chance to plan. Assuming of course the redundancy is a little way off. I completely understand the anger of people who arrive at work on a Monday morning and find the gate locked and they are redundant and I see this as heartless in the extreme. But when you have certainty, when you have a date to work towards, then you can feel more in control of your life. At that point so much depends on how you deal with it. Some put their head in the sand and hope it goes away. Some convince themselves there is nothing they can do, that they won’t find other work, and drop into a state of helplessness.
Others take action. By taking action they not only feel more in control, they are more in control. They don’t wait for redundancy. They discuss things with their family and develop a plan depending on various scenarios. They research and apply for jobs. They may ask themselves “Where to next?” and set about exploring options for their life that are quite different to anything they have done before.
And for some of these people they will look back on this redundancy as the best thing that ever happened to them. Made redundant from an uninspiring job, A. got the job of her dreams. Highly intelligent and very well qualified, S. left a pretty average-paying job and got a job that truly valued his skills, at almost double his previous pay. And M. is in the process of starting his own business – before the final day of work (a date that keeps changing) – he is energised, excited and feeling impatient for the old job to finish but needs that redundancy cheque so he will hang in there.