Here they come: the mass layoffs, starting in D.C. then rippling down economically to more job losses all around until eventually impacting every community, urban and rural, in the U.S. For whatever reason—government bloat, gloat or goad—the current administration feels the need to layoff lotsa government workers. What we’ve seen so far is a lotta reinstating former employees and/or positions.
What’s obvious to the rest of us is: Our government doesn’t know what the hell it’s doing.
Cutting government fat was supposed to be more about the elected officials: the ones who stay in Congress for decades, don’t do much, enjoy a life of luxury thanks to schmoozing with Big Money, and voting themselves raises as well as the best health care taxpayer money can buy them.
But for the little people, to those I can relate, I’m referring to the masses who have been laid off because I’ve been there, more than once, more than twice, more than three times. Geez, sounds like I’m a lazy good-for-nothing worker, huh? Well, I know I’m not. I just have an idealistic and simply illogical passion for careers that society doesn’t care much about. So when the budget needs to be chopped, I sometimes am sent packing. Maintaining a gypsy spirit is a good ideal when it comes to American employment, by the way.
Through the decades of my working years and occasional job loss (starting as a clerk at The Dallas Times Herald in 1991), I’ve become less neurotic and more practical about job loss real and imagined. When I was just starting out as a career woman (feminist term from the 1970s to which I would aspire), the mother of a young colleague always looked through the job listings of the Sunday newspapers, before internet and smart phones. She was a long-time nurse, already in the medical field assured way back then to be the leading industry of the 21st century. Why would she spend any time reading the want ads, I asked. She advised me to always be checking out the job ads. Got it. Ear to the ground … just in case.
Here’s what to do when laid off
DON’T BLAME YOURSELF. That’s what they want you to do. They want you to feel worthless, even suicidal. The truth is: THEY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU. Businesses will drop you in a snap yet expect sincere loyalty 8-hours a day/40-hours a week from their employees. Ironic, idn’t it?
They want you to rack your brain over every single word you said, vocal inflection, lifted brow, frown line, sigh, 5-minute lunch break, personality clash, and the appearance of giving the boss a hard time. But it’s not your fault more than likely. Sure, admin is supposed to get rid of the lazy folks first when mass layoffs are ordered. But I’ve noticed time and again that the very employees whom I know to be on the lazy side (frequently absent, fast and loose with the timecards, not too sharp, underproductive, overly diplomatic) are never laid off. I have noticed, however, the graying hair of those of us who end up standing in the lines at job fairs. Coincidence? I think not.
IF NEED BE, LIVE WITH FAMILY. Given the high cost of living and the unemployment compensation for job loss, it’s never enough to cover mortgage, rent, utilities, bills, groceries and gas. But maybe family and friends will let you crash for a while. As for your own family of kids and pets, everyone may have to split up if worse comes to worst. Think of it as very temporary because you’re off into cyberspace constantly seeking a new job or assorted jobs. This is the era of the gig economy.
CAST A WIDE NET: D.C. is not the only city to live in. The Mid Atlantic isn’t the only region to live in. The U.S. is not the only country to work in. That’s right, our federal government is opening the doors to kick scientists and doctors all over the planet. Might as well consider other countries. I’ll guarantee you one thing: Other countries will be more gracious. They’ll be lucky to have us, er, you.
KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE. The job’s the thing. Think big, dream BIG, like we did after high school. Remember how easy it was to consider our fantasy careers, when we were so young and untouched by life’s unfair and overwhelming cruelties? Yes! So, for me, that would have been wanting to move to L.A. and go into show biz! At age 18, however, I had way too low self esteem, not to mention the practical need of money or family living in California, to seriously move myself (with a few clothes, stereo, records and toiletries) to the show biz capital of the world.
Hey, the wonderful thing about living in the Internet Age is we can re-address some old big job dreams—even create jobs online and certainly go after many jobs posted on job search sites. It appears to be a smorgasbord of … opportunities! There’s a place for YOU somewhere.
What doesn’t make sense about mass government employee layoffs (coupled with firing the labor secretary due to woefully small job creation numbers) is the residual impact. If every dollar spent rolls over seven times, benefiting seven additional businesses, wouldn’t the opposite be true? Wouldn’t every job cut reduce revenue for seven businesses like grocery stores, clothing stores, furniture shops, restaurants, dry cleaners, gas stations? Just wondering.
In the 1990s, the Clinton administration brilliantly handled taking care of our country’s unemployed due to industry shutdowns. He created a federal fund to instantly help 40 of the most economically depressed communities in the U.S. Each community had to build its economy in three ways: create new small businesses, provide incentives to lure industries, and reboot tourism. Individuals who were unemployed and living in these economically depressed areas got to use grants and loans to finish their GEDs; take courses in HACV or welding and other practical job skills; or create their own small business, even operating them in their homes.
The Clinton way to fix economic problems turned out to be a Very Good Idea, certainly worthwhile and practical. But given our current administration and its ham-fisted pompous asinine manner to ‘cut the federal budget,’ any semblance of intelligent compassion is out—and suffering in all forms, from occupational to emotional, is in.