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40% of Americans have been Laid Off (at Least Once), So Why the Stigma?
Last week, a friend called to say that her position was eliminated, a client called to say that it’s only a matter of time, and a friend in HR called to discuss packages. Her company offers two years of full pay/full benefits to anyone eligible (they’d be crazy not to take it).
As someone who has worked with dozens of women in transition over the last five years, who has been laid off myself, and who wrote a book about it (what I wished I knew before negotiating my severance package), I have some thoughts.
Most layoffs are messy. The organization/leadership/HR (or all three) often bungle it, and your co-workers, family, and friends probably have or will say the wrong things.
Why? If there was a stigma about it, surely it’s been destigmatized by scale:
- 1,040 tech companies laid off 159,666 employees in 2022, and 256 tech companies laid off 82,769 employees in the first 30 days of 2023.
- 40% of Americans have been laid off at least once due to factors beyond their control.
So if it’s that commonplace, why is it so awkward?
Getting laid off isn’t contagious. If you’re employed, don’t worry that if you show empathy to those let go, it will jeopardize your job.
