If your workplace has been forced to make cuts, and you’ve lost your favorite coworker, the waves of emotions can be tough to deal with. You go from feeling lucky to still have your job, to guilty you’re there while they’re gone, and selfish for not helping your unemployed colleague more. If you’re on the last leg of that emotional roller coaster, here are some expert tips on how you can help your favorite coworker deal with getting a pink slip.
- Don’t be too patronizing or openly pitying.Stop before you say anything to them and really think carefully about what you’re about to tell them. There’s a fine line between being understanding and pitying and you’ll need to do your best to not come off as patronizing.Anita Kalra fromKLG Employment Lawsays “their immediate concern will be to find a new job and worry about making ends meet. Feeling sorry and openly pitying them will only allow them to panic more.”
- Acknowledge the situation asap.You’re not doing them any favors by pretending nothing happened. There’s no way around it, it’s going to be awkward, but you should say something. Anita recommends something as simple as ‘I just heard the news’ or ‘How are you feeling? – what a shock.’ This gives them the opening to express themselves and most of the time they just want a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen.
- Send them helpful resources.First things first, help them with figuring out whether their termination was fair. Review the contracts you both signed to see if everything is on the ups and what they’re entitled to in regard to things like severance. You could also offer to send them any open positions you see that fit their credentials.Let’s just hope you don’t need those job listings yourself.
Source:Metro