3 Ways to Keep Morale Intact in the Wake of Layoffs

Layoffs are inevitable in many business sectors right now. Glassdoor’s latest data shows that job openings have declined a precipitous 27.7 percent since the beginning of March, out-matching the Great Recession in the lightning speed of the decline. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) just reported that 23.1 million Americans have lost their jobs and the unemployment rate has spiked to 14.7 percent. This is the highest rate and the largest over-the-month increase since the BLS series began reporting in January of 1948. It goes without saying – and yet it must be said – that there are a lot of very talented people out there who have found themselves recently out of work. It sucks for them, but it also sucks for their former colleagues who are left with holes in their teams and, sometimes (however schmaltzy it may sound), in their hearts too. Resources abound to help job seekers find their footing and find work in this uncertain economic environment, but what if you’re a team member not included in the layoffs? Whether you’re a leader or an individual contributor, there’s a lot to navigate, from uncharted emotions to roadmaps that went poof overnight. So how do you manage the heaviness, the natural dip in productivity, and the lack of clarity around what’s to come? It’s hard, but...

There are 3 key ways to be a good team member in the wake of layoffs.

1. Allow room for sadness and grief. Resist the urge to rush in with an antidote to the suffering. There may be some long faces in video conference calls, and that’s okay. Let it sit for a minute. Not all people are natural cheerleaders, but if you are that type of person who hates to see people suffer and always wants to expose the silver lining, now’s the time to take a beat. Lock arms with your teammates. Let yourself feel the pain of those you said goodbye to. Rather than rushing through your feelings, allow them to take their natural course. Better news of former colleagues will come in due time, and a sense of normalcy will prevail eventually. By acknowledging the sadness now, you help in two ways: you give other team members the space to sit with it, and you avoid having anger, panic or resentment creep up later when you least expect it. When you do find your way through the grief in the coming weeks, it will be authentic.

Related: How to Keep Employees Engaged When Everyone’s Stressed and Working From Home

2. Be clear about exactly what’s not clear. When layoffs happen, it can feel like the floor has fallen away beneath your feet. Like that classic amusement park ride, The Gravitron, which is essentially a big spinning cylinder, the floor drops away when the speed is sufficient. There’s nothing to grab hold of; you just have to trust for a moment. That mysterious force that defies gravity is enough for now. Same goes for when the bottom drops out at work. There may not be a roadmap or the quantifiable comfort of key performance indicators anywhere in sight, and that’s okay. The spinning will slow down, and the floor will appear soon enough. If you’re a leader, it’s okay to say “hey, the floor isn’t there right now, but we’re all okay and it will be back soon.” And if you’re a team member or individual contributor, it’s totally normal to be like, “hey, where’d the floor go?” But try to steer clear of panic and trust that it will rise up beneath your feet soon enough.

Related: How to Communicate Change to Your Team

3. Adjust expectations for the time being. Layoffs are the last resort for most organizations, so when your company gets to a place where a reduction in force comes to bear, it’s likely that there’s been an atmosphere of frenzy for a period of time already. You may not have even been aware of it (like The Gravitron, it picked up speed gradually), but it’s likely that you were operating at breakneck pace for weeks if not months leading up to the layoffs. Rather than redirecting your adrenaline right back into your work, take a moment and let it fully dissipate. There may be a lot of change ahead – and there is much work to be done – but take a minute to let the spin slow enough that you can regain your composure, recalibrate your focus, and find a balanced path forward.

Learn More Glassdoor’s Resources for Employers During COVID-19