Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

I am not going to go into the idea of this country being in a recession or if one is looming. Some may argue we are already in a recession and some may argue we aren’t. From what I have seen in my humble little town and around the nation is companies are cutting back on expenses. One of the first things to go is jobs the company deems “unnecessary”. Although, I don’t think the job would be there in the first place if it was unnecessary, I can understand some jobs can be absorbed by other departments. The idea of being laid of is a scary one for any person depending on a steady paycheck. Big companies are not immune to these layoffs either. One could argue they are more likely to cut jobs especially if they are a public shared company and are trying to meet a budget by year end.

Being laid off isn’t easy but I think the way it happens can be a shot in the gut. How would you like to receive an email from the CEO of your company telling you that there will be some fairly massive layoffs by the end of the year? That is exactly what happened at Yahoo today. CEO Jerry Yang sent out a mass email to all the Yahoo staff indicating that 10% of the staff would be axed by the end of the year to meet their budget. Seriously, Jerry? You have the gull to give out this terrible news via email. The least you could have done was have department meetings to break the news to the employees.     

I have never been in this situation before but I think the way Yang informed the employees was deplorable. What ever happened the the old pink slip and turkey? Not that this would make it any easier for a person who is being laid off but at least it is more personable. Sending out a mass email just makes it seem like he doesn’t care and wanted to do this efficiently as possible. Granted no one has been axed yet, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was done with a heartless email as well. Yang doesn’t even have the time to use capital letters at the beginning of his sentences. Although he is known for this in the past at least take the time to structure your sentences correctly in these hectic times.

There is no way to fully protect yourself from a layoff but you can take certain measures to protect yourself or, at the very least, see it coming. Stay up to date on the latest news especially if you work for a bigger company. You can find out how well they are doing once a quarter. Keep an eye out for news about the company and their financial situation. If your company doesn’t make news headlines due to its size there are other indications things aren’t going the best. Usually companies will cut back on things like hours and benefits, temporary workers, contractors, and the annual Christmas party. If you start to see these things happening you may want to start preparing yourself for the worst case scenario.

The positions that don’t bring in a lot of extra money are usually the first to go. Administrative jobs and customer service jobs are examples of positions that are usually the first to be cut. If you are in one of these areas and the company starts to cutback offer to take on a different position if one is available. Even if the work isn’t that desirable at least you will have a chance to work while you seek employment elsewhere. Sales jobs are usually fairly safe because a company always has to sell goods to stay afloat. Even though sales positions aren’t for everyone at least it is a job and good money can be made in sales.

One of the best things you can do is make sure the “right people” know about you and know that you are a hard worker. Don’t be modest because your job could be on the line. The “right people” are the people who have the power to lay you off and could include presidents and CEO’s, human resources, and department heads. I am no brown noser and hate the idea of them, but in times like this you might have to get that nose a little bit dirty to keep yourself safe.