An ounce of sympathy for the still employed
If you lost your job as a result of this recession, you’re probably (understandably) too busy feeling sorry for yourself to have any compassion for those who have escaped a culling. But maybe it’s time to do so – after all, they too are feeling the burn.
Apparently, “layoff survivor syndrome” is a very real phenomenon.
Organizational psychologists say that for some, being left behind is just as stressful emotionally, psychologically and physically. They feel guilty, their workload has grown exponentially, and they are terrified they might be next. And they probably have unemployed friends like John bombarding them with text messages, taunting them with invites to do something fun in the middle of the day.
Researchers say that while these survivors may initially be more productive for fear of being deemed disposable, in the long run they actually become less effective. They grow more risk-averse and are less likely to think outside the box.
As much as I’d like to hate everyone who still has a job, I completely understand that we layoffees are not the only victims of this crisis. Getting through one wave of redundancies is not a guarantee of ongoing employment. And I would imagine it’s not easy to stay motivated when your job security is shaky at best, and office dynamics have changed so drastically overnight.
So next time you get together with an employed friend, be conscious of their strife as you complain about not being able to pay the electric bill. They’ll probably feel guilty and spend the entire lunch comforting you, giving you advice and soothing your ego. While it’s tempting to milk it, it might be nice to ask them how they’re doing. Don’t let your bitterness become an excuse for self-centeredness, or stop you from being a sympathetic friend. And if nothing else, hearing about their intolerable workweek will make you feel better about your situation. You may be broke, but at least you’re not stuck doing two people’s jobs for the price of one.
They should still pay for lunch though.
I’m one of the still-employed, even though I have constant fear that this is but a temporal state for me. That said, I think most of our empathy should be saved for the recently axed. At the end of the day, I can go home, have some scotch and feel bad for the other guy that got whacked. That other guy, however, has nothing to turn to but scotch.
There are such things as recession resistant jobs, But they require a person to have to physically work for a living, and people are not interested in jobs that require physical labor. For some strange reason society has drawn the conclusion that work ( taken literally ) is a bad thing.
Maybe that is not such a bad thing, it means less competition in the “labor” market. Plumbers, Electricians, Cement finishers, Tile setters, Painters, Welders and the like are all very busy with impossible workloads. ( ever wonder why that contractor never shows up when he is supposed to? ) of coarse these jobs are very taboo to the person who spent yrs acquiring a degree so that he wouldn’t have to stoop to such lows.
The Tradesman has an unseen edge on the economy where, he isn’t necessarily dependent on traditional means of support. ( the word “trade” comes to mind )Example:
A trip to the dentist comes to mind, what would otherwise cost over two thousand dollars for a root canal and crown, costs a professional painter a little more then a day or so painting the dentist’s office in trade ( just an example of coarse ) But then we who toil in the fields for our livelihood couldn’t possibly be that creative… could we?
“Employment Survivor’s Guilt” is a real phenomenon….
As an individual who recently was unemployed over the summer, had secured a new job, and then had the entire department eliminated around him, leaving people who had devoted 18-20 years of their lives to an organization without a job and me with a job, I understand both sides of the issue here. Approximately 5 weeks ago, without any prior knowledge, suspicion, or gut feeling, our department was informed that the President of the Organization was coming to our weekly departmental meeting. Our department had experienced a significant loss last year this time, and we had just been talking about how we would like the President to come to our meeting and not because of terrible news. Well, we got the opportunity, and then we learned that the department was being eliminated and 8 of my fellow employees, including my Director, were out of a job effective 12/31/08.
I sat in the meeting while the PResident and COO sat down, and neutrally said “We have some bad news. The department is being eliminated because it is losing money. Everyone is out of a job except for (my) program. I am sorry, but you get a month’s severance with health insurance. Any Questions?” And that was it.
I looked around at a fellow supervisor who had been with the organization for 18 years with a blank look on his face, at another worker who had joined the organization the month before I started tearing up, and my Director with her head down.
I sat there with such GUILT that I didn’t know what to say or do. I had just started 2 months ago and to me it would make sense to get rid of me and transfer one of the other supervisor’s over my program. But no. I assume I am the cheapest! Maybe it is because of my skill set, but I assume it is because I am young, cheap to insure and cheap to pay.
I was thankful that I still had a job. I didn’t really want my job, but thankful that I sitll had a job. I was unemployed for almost 3 months over the summer before securing this job and I was driving myself crazy, and in fact started blogging about it then (which John made fun of me for doing). So, I knew I didn’t want to go back to that. But, OMFG, I didn’t want to feel like shit everyday because I still had a job. So, basically, for the last 5 weeks, I have been tiptoeing around the people who lost their job, hoping to not set them off by my employed status and start shooting everybody, and in the end hope that they don’t hire someone to kill me so that they could take my position.
So “Employment Survivor’s Guilt” is a real phenomenon, and this is my experience.
Thanks so much for sharing, employed person. We know you are feeling it too.