How To Survive a Round of Redundancy

The Reality

Redundancy - its a dirty word but sometimes it has to be done. Making some staff redundant can be the difference between 75% of the original business continuing and thriving or none of it surviving. We know and appreciate that its a tough choice, that doesn't change the impact on your workforce though.

Pressure

The pressures are different depending on the company size but real never the less. If you are a private company the pressure may be to cut the emotional ties to the staff you feel loyal to or have been loyal to you or whom you get on best and review the situation on an objective basis.

 For larger public companies this pressure still exists for managers and those that have to decide who stays and who goes. Another one is added - what will the shareholders and investors think? Perceptions need to be managed, media brought on line and all at a stressful time for the business.

 Coping - or not

How do you cope? Some will push all the thoughts under the metaphorical carpet and hope they go away. Some will enjoy a drink a little more often. Some will be suffering physical symptoms of stress, heart palpitations, stomach cramps, bloating, headaches, anxiety. A rare few will be able to leave things at work, go home and live life without the stress of redundancy hanging over them

 These symptoms are likely to be experienced by all parties - those being made redundant or under threat, the decision makers of the business and also those who keep their jobs. All will be having emotional triggers impacting their wellbeing and work performance.

 The Forgotten Ones

It's pretty common for businesses to pay for some support to the staff being made redundant. If you’re not already doing this perhaps you should. Helping folk a little shows that you are a caring employer, does wonders for customer relationships and keeps the door open for those staff to come back to you as business growth returns. After all you have trained them and know them well so it would make sense for all parties to rehire some of the staff in the future. Managers often have support too -perhaps through executive coaching or something they do privately and reclaim on expenses. What about the people remaining?

The staff who retain their jobs will have been through a stressful period and now have to adjust to new working practices without the familiar team mates and camaraderie. They may be feeling guilty as to why they got to keep their roles when others didn’t. They may feel insecure- will they be next. All of this negativity will impact on health, accuracy of tasks and productivity as a whole. What will you do to improve the productivity and wellness?

 Negative to positive

Zoifos are unusual in that we are happy working with any of the impacted parties. We do mental and emotional health from negative to zero/OK and on to positive. Wellbeing firms tend to do Negative to zero and executive coaches do ok to positive. So you could say that Zoifos are a kind of buy one get one free.

Survival of the Fittest

To some extent, those that are in the best place mentally and emotionally already will find it easiest to get through this period without lasting consequences. If staff have already been given tools for personal development and ditched their old triggers and limiting beliefs the new challenge of redundancy.

Whilst each may have similar issues on the face of it, dig a little deeper and you are likely to find a whole mishmash of emotions, thoughts and triggers. Many of them reaching back to the past for their origins. The wellness resources need to be chosen carefully to avoid re-traumatising people and to avoid adding to their burdens. Talking therapy may just not cut it right now. Time to take a deeper and effective approach.

 If you’d like to know more about how emotions layer and how the straw really can break the camels back keep an eye out for our videos or get in touch to get the videos sent direct to your inbox.

Check out the ZoifosWebsite for more information