Lay-Off Survivor Guilt: Coping with guilt when a co-worker is laid off!

Imagine this- 'You work at a reputed company. You like your job because you enjoy the work you get to do and everything else is smooth flowing too. You have a good source of income. Colleagues are friendly and supportive. One day, you witness that the colleague you just had your lunch with was called by your boss. He was laid off. He comes out of the boss’ cabin teary- eyed.' How would you feel then?

Welcome to reality! According to a study, more than 11k Indian employees have been laid off recently in their startups (Kashyap, 2022). Experts also found that 90% of 47 crore employees got zero lay-off compensation i.e., monetary benefits or secure job placements in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. The current economic crisis can make anyone fear layoffs.

You must have heard about the 'survivor’s guilt', right? It is the emotion of intense guilt that one feels after witnessing a life-threatening event (e.g., a natural disaster or a serious accident) and surviving through it however, feeling guilty after realizing that the other person didn’t. Similar to this, is what we call “Lay-Off Survivor Guilt”. It’s a guilt feeling we get when we witness a co-worker who has worked in the organization for a long term, being laid-off, restructured or fired from the job.

Sally Spencer-Thomas, a Clinical Psychologist elaborates about this syndrome as “mixture of grief from losing colleagues, anxiety regarding their (own) job security, overwhelm from needing to pick up more work, and distress from deteriorating psychological safety.”

So, if you have survived a layoff and feeling guilty, that's okay!

This new and sudden change in the workplace can affect anyone's life! We may feel disheartened, demotivated and find it hard to focus on work. It's no wonder that productivity is prone to be hampered. It is important then to keep our emotional well-being in check.

Here are some ways to help you:

1) Do not ignore your feelings!

It is okay to feel what you are feeling right now. Ignoring or criticizing your feelings will only make you feel worse in the long run. Acknowledge that these are difficult feelings and that they need time to process. Give yourself enough space from time to time let these feelings settle.

2) Stay in touch with laid off colleagues.

Check up with your colleagues. Talk to them about how this sudden change is affecting them. Also, be honest about how you feel. Try to be there for them and help them find connections that would get them a new job. This will help you feel assured about their condition and may reduce the guilty feelings.

3) Seek support.

Talk to your family, friends or even your colleagues about how this is impacting you. Talking to your colleagues who are experiencing similar emotions can aid in making you feel supported and can give you hope. Do not hesitate to go to therapy.

You may also book a therapy appointment with us!

Losing a companion from a team due to a lay-off can be as negative as grief felt due to loss of life. “Door se dekha toh ek company nazar aayi. Paas aake dekha toh, ek team nikli.” In such situations, a collective work by employers and employees alongwith the help of a mental health consultant on such transitions will be helpful.

By Ms. Vidhi Chanpura Ms. Vidhi is our Social Media Marketing & Mental Health Advocacy intern. Psychology & human behavior started appealing me in my high school years when I wanted to find answers to why people behaved the way they did. Emotions fascinated me. Moreover, becoming a Psychology graduate deepen her interest in the subject. She aspire to become an impactful Psychologist who spreads awareness about mental health and bring positive changes at grassroot levels.

References:

Ray, S. S (2020). Covid-19 pandemic: 90% of India’s estimated 47-crore workforce not entitled for any lay-off benefits. Referred from https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/covid-19-pandemic-90-of-indias-estimated-47-crore-workforce-not-entitled-for-any-lay-off-benefits/1904866/

Kashyap, H. (2022). Indian Startup Layoff Tracker: 11,360+ Employees Laid Off In 2022 Amid Startup Funding Winter. Referred from https://inc42.com/features/indian-startup-layoffs-tracker/

Beaudry, J. E (2022). Workplace Survivor Syndrome: What It Is and How to Cope. Referred from https://lattice.com/library/workplace-survivor-syndrome-what-it-is-and-how-to-cope

Heathfield, M. S (2020). How to Cope When Your Coworkers Lose Their Jobs. Referred from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-cope-when-coworkers-lose-their-jobs-1918595

Hackston, J. (2020). Survivor guilt: How to deal with company layoffs. Referred from https://www.hcamag.com/asia/specialisation/employee-engagement/survivor-guilt-how-to-deal-with-company-layoffs/230729