Supporting collegues being made redundant - last days

Mee

Dear All,

I work with two colleagues being made redundant due to staff restructuring. We made various representations about the need for said colleagues, but management insist their roles are redundant under the new service model. I would like to know how best we can support our colleagues and what to do on the last day (just before Christmas), in particular. Any advice on dealing with survivor's guilt would be welcome too.


I may not be able to reply to responses immediately, but thank you in advance for any helpful suggestions re: support.

getmore4less

Help with CV network for them putting them in touch with people that might have jobs.

We went through loads of rounds in my old place and some were up for a standard leaving do, which at our place usualy involved a very long lunch at the pub(flexable working).

Survivors guilt, usualy goes(changes to anger) when you find yourself picking up the slack and doing the stuff they used to do.

SarEl

If you don't already have their contact details, make sure you get them and stay in touch - there's nothing worse than feeling "out of sight, out of mind". And redundancy puts you "in the home" and in unusual and unaccustomed patterns of life. It's easy to lose touch with people. When you contact them - don't spend the whole time complaining about work (or saying how well it's going!) but don't avoid the subject either. Keep a balance. If you know of jobs, or agencies, or sites that are useful - tell them. If you know they will struggle after redundancy (money, social contacts) put some thought into little actions that can make a difference. Pop around on your way past with a special coffee, or a little treat, that you happen to have too much of, or saw and thought of them ... or whatever convenient excuse you can think of! I have a whole host of friends who don't have as much money as I have, but it's easy to avoid it being charity. The other night one of my (recently acquired) unemployed friends mentioned he had never had prawn curry (he likes curry - jumbo prawns are out of their budget line) so it just so happened that I cooked up a bigger pan than I needed to. He mentioned too that he'd always wanted to try lobster, crab etc - never had... That's his Christmas present sorted!!! And a christmas present isn't charity - nor is a small "thought" that just cheers somone up.

Survivors guilt? You didn't do it. The employer may have realistically had no choice either, but you definitely didn't do it, so don't feel guilty about it. I am afraid this is just a sign of the times. But I agree with getmore4less - it often turns to anger and that isn't any more helpful.

Bennifred

You sound like a lovely friend, SarEl!:A

getmore4less

Good point about keeping in touch, the first out often become the source of jobs when the next round of cuts happen.

When our place finaly closed the last 20 odd out are nearly all now working in companies where there are others that they have worked with before.

marlot

Bennifred wrote: »

You sound like a lovely friend, SarEl!:A

Yes, SarEl helped my with some good advice when I was made redundant. It was hugely appreciated.

SarEl

Bennifred wrote: »

You sound like a lovely friend, SarEl!:A

It doesn't take a lot of effort to be a friend! Now, being an enemy is hard work..

Mee

Hi, just caught up with your responses. Thanks all, especially to SarEl and getmore4less. I hadn't thought much about the aftermath - shall put some more thought into on-going support , especially the one without a job and pension. We're all going to the pub the day before so hopefully we'll give them a good send off sans management.

I hope I can keep it together for them in the last week, but as the day gets closer, I see them both getting more stressed and angrier and everyone around them feels helpless and and angrier too.:(

Thanks again.