The Ones Left Behind
Guest Blogger: Jessica Burrus, WLCP - Work-Life Project Liaison, WorldatWork

April 13, 2009

It seems you can’t go anywhere these days without hearing something about the economy.  It’s on the TV, the radio, and in the newspapers.  More often than not, the news is not good.  One of our biggest fears is being laid off.  It might have already happened to you or someone you know.  It’s a reality for all of us and it looms in the back of our minds.  Is my job in jeopardy?  Will I be next?

Well, what if you’re not next?  What if it’s not your job that gets eliminated?  Does that mean everything is fine and dandy?  Not according to what is being called layoff survivor syndrome, a term coined by organizational psychologist that basically says those left behind feel just as much stress and anxiety as their co-workers who were let go. 

In foresight I would think I would feel lucky it wasn’t me.  I would try harder in order to save my job.  I would do whatever it took.  But that’s not what research shows.  According to a study conducted by Leadership IQ, results show that it’s almost the opposite.  Most feel anger and stress over the situation and are more apt to lose focus on their jobs, which results in poor productivity, ultimately resulting in money lost for the organization not to mention all of the adverse health related problems that might come about.

What’s important here is to realize those being laid off aren’t the only ones who suffer.  Losing your co-worker can mean anything from losing your daily lunch buddy to losing someone who was a vital part of your team…and now those left behind have to pick up the slack and are more than likely not motivated to do so.  Hopefully managers keep this in mind and take action by keeping remaining employees informed, being sensitive to the “aftermath” of the layoff and referring layoff survivors to their EAP programs if needed.  If you feel you’re faced with no choice but to layoff your employees, be sure to consider all the options.  Check out Washington State’s shared work program or some examples of flexible alternatives discussed in Cali Yost’s recent blogs for a different perspective.

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The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of WorldatWork and its affiliate, Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP).