You thought about what to wear. You told your family. You showed up ready to prove something. That version of you had the right instincts. Here’s what happened next—and what to do about it.
How to Navigate Increased Expectations After a Layoff
Uncertain times call for keeping your options open
Looking Around the Company, Feeling Unsure
You may feel relieved you survived a layoff. A few weeks later, that relief often fades. It feels unsure, chaotic, and confusing.
These are all normal and expected feelings.
What comes over the next few months is rarely talked about.
Managers want to show empathy, and at the same time want their teams to move forward.
I Survived a Layoff, What’s Next?
Layoffs don’t end when the announcement does. If you stayed, relief fades fast. Here’s why guilt, fear, and pressure show up next, and how to stay steady while quietly preparing.
What to Do (and Not Do) in the First 24 Hours After a Layoff
The first 24 hours after a layoff matter more than most people realize. This post explains what to do, what to avoid, and how early decisions around unemployment, severance, and communication quietly shape what comes next.
The Checklist People Wish They’d Done Before Their Layoff
Get ahead of the organizational changes
Confidence and options before a layoff happens
Even if no layoffs occur, people who do these things tend to have more confidence and options over the course of their careers.
Layoffs can happen overnight and feel like a complete surprise.
But most layoffs don’t arrive as a surprise.
They arrive as part of a pattern.
Most people don’t get blindsided.
If You Suspect a Layoff Is Coming, Read This First
Trust your gut on layoff signals
Reading the tea leaves on a future layoff
There is significant global economic uncertainty right now. In the U.S., even industries that once felt insulated are now feeling pressure.
After years of record financial growth, 2025 closed with the highest unemployment levels in two decades. That perspective matters because layoffs rarely arrive without context. They arrive after conditions shift.
If you’re picking up on signals that your company may be preparing for a layoff,
What to Do the Day You’re Laid Off: A 24-Hour Survival Guide
What you do in the first 24 hours after being laid off matters.
1. First — Breathe. Unemployement Doesn’t Mean You’re Not Damaged Goods.
In this economy, a layoff isn’t a black mark. The most innovative companies on the planet — the ones that hire the best — are doing reductions. Recruiters and interviewers are accustomed to seeing gaps in employment on resumes. Recruiters are also used to seeing candidates taking time off.
Layoffs and HR, How We Conduct Ourselves
HR has moral responsibilities beyond paperwork.
Layoffs: HR departments are not staffed for a layoff
HR gets a bad rap when it comes to layoffs. Unfortunately, I have led HR teams through layoffs. I have posted several times about what individuals should consider if they don’t survive layoffs. Today, I will share steps HR teams should consider when conducting layoffs.
As hard as a layoff is on the exiting employee, layoffs are also hard on the HR team.