<p>so i’m currently working for the government and there was a decision made high up to lay people off. Its about 5% of the staff within the next few years. </p>
<p>I’m pretty worried even though the statistics are in my favour. I’m wondering how to deal with this, its all over the news but there is very little mention of it within my work. </p>
<p>should i ask my supervisor how my group is affected? I doubt he knows. i really want to know if i’m gonna get laid off soon so i can plan. </p>
<p>anyone gone through this before? advice?</p>
<p>how do i plan my finances when my job can be cut anytime with the next few years?</p>
<p>lowendnewbie: I have been through this more times than I would like to think. The good news is that I always end up in a better job/situation each time I go through a layoff.</p>
<p>It won’t result in anything if you ask your supervisor. If she/he knows something, they probably can’t talk about it. And they may be subject to layoff also.</p>
<p>Since you work for the government, you should have some protection as there usually is priority given to folks on a layoff or surplus list. (I work for the government now, although the times I have been laid off have been with private sector/nonprofits.)</p>
<p>Now is the time to start looking around at other jobs if you think it really might happen. It is much easier to find a job while you still have a job. Plus you can give yourself some breathing room to not have to accept the very first job you see.</p>
<p>Hopefully you have been saving for a rainy day. If not start now. Set some money aside to get you through 3-6 months. </p>
<p>Finally, realize that this is nothing personal. You are still a wonderful employee and will be of great value to another employer. This is just the way life is these days.</p>
<p>crizello is right! I’ve been through this several times, also. I was SO hurt and offended the first time. But each time I got a new position, I learned skills which were applicable when my husband and I started our own firm. If I’d stayed at my first job, we probably wouldn’t have struck out on our own.</p>
<p>Looking for a new job now is a good idea. You might find something better! And do NOT feel guilty about leaving your current position. Most people don’t stay with the same company for their whole careers, as used to be common.</p>
<p>Those of us in the private sector have been dealing with layoffs - by any other name - for decades. In the depths of the recession we underwent 40% cuts (that’s four zero :)). I’m still there. My wife has changed many jobs and layoffs are a fact of life. </p>
<p>Typically, in the private sector at least, there’s rarely a company that lays off 5% of staff and continues merrily on its ride towards success. When there’s one layoff there’s another and another and another…</p>
<p>In round 1, it’s all the obvious targets. The mega-slackers, the ‘should-have-cut-them-earlier-but’ types, and so on. In round 2, it’s the ‘what have you done for me lately’, performance based, ‘performance based’, who do you know, and so on. After a couple rounds it’s anyone’s guess.</p>
<p>If you’re looking for ‘a few years’ start saving, start networking (worthless as it may seem, trust me, it’s over-rated), and learn / maintain skills. Your boss may not know anything because he/she is in the dark as well.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Also, I know in the government you can sometimes move to a different job? A different dept.</p>
<p>Is this a possibility for you? Your supervisor might help you with that process if that was the case and you actually were in line to be laid off? Just a thought, not advice. You will know best if he/she is the kind of person you can speak to about this.</p>
<p>Also, just to say that it really is easier to get a job when you have a job, so if you really think you are in line to be laid off, starting the search now would be a good proactive idea. But don’t jump the gun. First assess if you really are in line to be laid off.</p>
<p>Good luck to you. I know it can be a little disorienting when this kind of news comes your way, and you don’t want to over-react.</p>
<p>why is it easier to get a job when i already have a job??</p>
<p>It helped to think of this situation as a lottery … a backwards lottery to be sure (i.e., a few losers and lots of winners), but a lottery nonetheless. Your Supervisor will likely be no help whatsoever for the reasons crizello articulated. But thinking of Lotto Layoff … instead of Lotto Payoff, get it? … makes a game out of something that can’t productively be viewed any other way. You may get unlucky … but at least your head is in the game and you’re not thinking about foreclosure and food stamps. After all, you want to be enjoying your life while making some precautionary moves.</p>
<p>As crizello suggests, now is the time to begin figuring out what your expenses are, to begin cutting down where you can do so least painfully, and to begin building that 3 - 6 month emergency fund. I’d vote against brushing up your Resume, and I’d also vote against making re-education plans. In my experience these sorts of activities are a waste of time … since it’s rather unlikely you’ll hit the Lotto Layoff Grand Prize. Analyzing your spending and building a bigger nest egg are things that will benefit you whether you win (“Bummer”) or lose (“Yeah!”) the Lotto Layoff game.</p>
<p>Try not to worry. Try not to strategize how you can stay. In general institutional decisions are not influenced by employee behavior … except negatively of course, and you don’t want that.</p>
<p>Employers find you more desirable if they KNOW someone else is paying you to work for them every day. Some tips for now:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Regarding finances, if you don’t have that “rainy day fund” built up, start that now. You will feel MUCH better if you have a chunk of change in the bank if a layoff occurs!</p></li>
<li><p>If you aren’t on LinkedIn, I would suggest that you join. Invite everyone you work with now, and anyone else you know in your industry to be contacts. I am not sure of your age, but I know younger people are sometimes hesitant to do this. I think they sort of equate it with social network sites, and don’t want to connect with people who are not true “friends”. However, LinkedIn is intended for professional contacts, and really, almost anyone you ask to be a contact who knows you will likely say yes. One of the great things about LinkedIn is that as your contacts move around (say, you aren’t in the first wave of layoffs, but down the road you are), you can keep in contact with them. You can always send them a message through LinkedIn if you don’t have their current email address. As your network grows and people move around between jobs, you can build a really nice set of contacts across your industry and/or city.</p></li>
<li><p>Start brushing up your resume. I update mine about every six months with new projects, skills, activities, etc. Same with my LinkedIn contacts. That way you don’t have to start from scratch (or scramble if a good opportunity shows up unexpectedly).</p></li>
<li><p>If you like your current job, keep hustling to try to be a top performer. Do your work throughly and promptly, be a positive person that others like to work with, help others out when they need it. Make your boss look good. Sometimes you can’t help getting cut (if they sweep out a whole department), but even if that happens, if your co-workers think well of you they might help you get hired on wherever they land.</p></li>
</ul>