In india, being laid off is a taboo. Though most of us have thought through some sort of a plan, it will be foolish to think that gone are the days to pretend this is not happening. I personally having gone through that phase in the US during the last recession, it is somewhat familiar to me in the post-layoff days while saying i am not completely immune.
Today there is a generation of us in the indian workforce, totally unfamiliar with layoffs, and totally unfamiliar with the idea that a job is actually 100% insecure.
The good news about this is that there is not a huge difference between someone laid off and someone not laid off in that all of us feel vulnerable, scared and cheated in some ways.
Which also means that some etiquette has to be followed in that it is different than it used to be for talking to someone who’s been laid off.
1. Never ask "how's the job hunt?" Because the job hunt doesn't change much from day to day, but it's far more demoralizing to report that in someones face.
2. Ask about things like hobbies, kids, and their health – all interesting topics to talk about.
3. Talk about the current affairs & industry news in general - Tell the person what you're working on. Trends you're hearing about. Personnel shifts you've seen. Also, gossip counts as news. Workplace gossip is a positive way to bond. Forget what your mom told you about gossip being bad karma. In this case, gossip equals good karma.
4. Offer atleast one good contact - You need not pretend that connecting in LinkedIn or facebook is going to help his cause, because he should have been building the network long before the layoff loomed. But you could offer up one person you know well who could talk with the person.
5. Acknowledge trouble with the significant other - On this is tricky! More men are getting laid off than women, which puts women in a bad spot because most women choose a husband thinking he'll earn more. Today it's a fair game, and even compassionate to acknowledge.
6. Don't be shy of gratitude - Tell a co-worker who’s been laid off that you miss him or her. And what you miss. It's hard to keep up morale when you're looking for a job. And so often we forget what we are talented at because rejection makes us feel totally un-talented.
