If You Get Fired…

Posted on December 15, 2011 by R. A. M.

It would be understandable if your first impulse upon getting fired were to burn the place down, but it would be wiser of you not to do such a thing. Getting terminated is a lot like a sudden death in the family. It’s shocking, even if you have noted indications that it might happen, and it is thoroughly life-scrambling. Termination profoundly upsets your equanimity, and without balance you are flailing around in desperate straits.

The most important thing you can do when you get fired is to give yourself the time you need to sort through your emotions. It’s all right to be angry, bitter and to feel betrayed. But right away is not the moment to be calmly accepting your own part in the saga that led you to this moment. That opportunity will come, but first you need to feel the volcanic emotions. Let them have their say, their moment out of darkness, their moment of screaming in the light. When that begins to ebb, you can grieve for your loss and the damage done to your reputation and to those you care for and depend in part on your salary.

Seek counseling. Talking to good friends helps a bit, yes, but you would be better off talking with a trained professional who can help you not only deal with your grief and disappointment, but gently nudge you along the path to seeking and securing another job. The sooner that happens, the sooner you can really put this profound disappointment behind you.

Photo © TheSupe87 – Fotolia.com

How To Fire An Employee

Posted on September 20, 2011 by J. L. Eisenberg

Unemployment - woman holding Fired sign on white As the high-profile firing of Yahoo’s former CEO Carol Bartz last week shows, nobody’s position is wholly secure in today’s economy. As an employer, you may be facing budget cuts or downsizing that makes laying off employees inevitable. While nobody likes to deliver the pink slip, there are methods you can use to make terminating an employee as painless as possible for both parties.

First and foremost, your decision to fire someone should never come as a surprise. Even if you are laying off an employee due to financial concerns rather than personal ones, they should know in advance that their position is on the chopping block and what (if anything) they can do to keep their job.

When the pink slip is finally delivered, keep the conversation short and sweet. Do not get in to a back-and-forth with your employee over why they were fired; the decision is final and it’s not good for either of you to dwell on it.

As with all difficult news, keep your tone compassionate when breaking it to your employee. Try prefacing handing over the pink slip by telling your employee how sorry you are about the outcome. Instead of focusing on the negatives of his or her time working for you, talk about the areas in which he or she did well. By framing the decision to terminate him or her as a question of poor fit rather than poor performance, you will help your employee to leave his or her position with confidence rather than dejection.

Whether or not firing an employee is your choice, as an employer you always have the option to soften the blow by breaking the news to them in the most tactful manner possible. Doing so will allow both you and your (ex) employee to walk away with dignity.

Photo ©

Holding Hands

Posted on September 13, 2011 by R. A. M.

Multiracial Hands Making a Circle It can be a lonely pursuit, the process of looking for work. The longer you are unemployed, the lonelier you can feel.

It’s partially inevitable, the solitary nature of being unemployed and looking for a new job. Scanning job lists, preparing support and primary documents, writing emails and letters, making copies, printing, and sending and mailing materials is work done alone. Like a professional writer, much of the initial work of the job hunter is done solo. But that’s only one part of the job hunting process, or should be.

The part that’s missing? A support system for the job hunter. Someone who has a job works at it, then has a range of activities at her disposal to unwind. Many of them include gathering with co-workers, supporting one another’s outside interests, and encouraging their aspirations at work.

The unemployed can do the same thing, though it isn’t much encouraged. So, what you can do is take the initiative. Call up a few friends who are unemployed or partially employed (part-time, minimum wage earners) and suggest a night each week at a coffee shop or restaurant. Start a reading club of the unemployed, or a laughter club for the jobless. If you’re so inclined, join a church group made up of job seekers.

The point is not therapy in the clinical sense. It’s about empathy and encouragement. Like the employed people who gather together, the unemployed can do the same thing. You’ll find it rejuvenating, an excellent release of frustration. That is bound to help you as you continue your search.