It’s natural to feel emotionally down as a result of being let go by your company. It is important to understand that you being retrenched is not a reflection on you as a person. You are not a failure. To the company, it’s just business.
It has been a while since you were free on a weekday; well, not that it is a public holiday or a normal off day from work but free in the sense that you are not offering your services to any organization at the moment. Perhaps you even forgot to switch off or change the alarm time and it just goes off as usual. This time around, your morning regimen being forced by circumstances to be different, you find yourself in front of your PC still in shock, disbelief and anger after being made redundant.
Redundancy or retrenchment in an organization happens due to various reasons, some of which include technological, structural and economic advances. Structural and economic reasons tend to be the most likely cause of retrenchment. The Kenyan Labour law clearly stipulates under the Employment Act section 40, how all matters redundancy should be carried out in fairness. This is not limited to wages owed, trade union involvement and the notice period.
It’s natural to feel emotionally down as a result of being let go by your company. It is important to understand that you being retrenched is not a reflection on you as a person. You are not a failure. To the company, it’s just business. That being said, don’t let what happened diminish your self-esteem; even though it may be a little hard considering how often we find ourselves asking someone where they work as way of knowing more about them. This shouldn’t be the case even though some people measure their self-worth with the jobs they hold.
There is life after retrenchment. You need to find out what to do next in order to get back on your feet since the responsibilities you have remain constant. How then do you cope with the sudden loss of a job?
Financial assessment: this is really important in figuring out where you stand financially and for how long you can sustain yourself as you look for new opportunities. If you were lucky to get a descent pay-out, take time to work out the best and worst case scenarios that you may find yourself in. Try looking for opportunities that you can invest in that can be able to generate money for you as you continue with your job search instead of spending the money on exotic vacations. You will also find it necessary to cut down on your expenses to the minimum basics.
Strategize: financial obligations may put you under pressure to look for another job almost immediately and with this you will always find yourself applying for roles similar to your previous one. Retrenchment may be a blessing in disguise. Use it as an opportunity to further your skills by registering for a course to improve on your skill-set. By doing this, you will be able to do an analysis on your current skills and whether they are relevant in the present job market.
Flexibility: starting at the bottom may be a hard pill to swallow especially with the dramatic pays. It is important to be open to opportunities that come your way even if the pay might be less than what you were making at your previous company. Reference from the company that retrenched you will go a long way in helping you find other opportunities. For this reason, it would be good to get a letter of recommendation from your employer highlighting reasons as to why you were let go and the value you added to the organization. Talent management and recruitment platforms such as FUZU will come in handy in helping match you to jobs that are a good fit for you.
Social Support: humans are social beings therefore drawing on the support of family and friends will be of much help. This may include opening up to a close friend or family member about your worries and concerns. It may lead to having a different perspective on your situation in addition to getting encouragement to remain hopeful in your search. Letting close friends and relatives know will help you accept your predicament and could enable you find new opportunities.
Therefore, it is important not to dwell on denial for too long but to move on as soon as possible. Consider it a fresh start. Remember, the future is in your hands and you are in control of it.
