WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW

Guilt. An emotion that we are all familiar with. But not often considered in the context of the workplace. Globally businesses have had to retrench employees as a result of the unexpected consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. You may have initially felt lucky or relieved to survive the retrenchment process and still have your job. But as the reality set in, a host of other emotions may have snuck up on you. Anger. Anxiety. Depression. A sense of loss. Fear. These are common emotions experienced by those who have survived the retrenchment process. On top of that, you may also be experiencing survivor guilt – feelings of guilt for surviving the retrenchment process that your colleagues did not. How do you know if you are suffering from survivor guilt?

  • You hold a grudge against the company. Bonds with colleagues are strong. You spent five days a week with them and it’s devastating to watch them pack their stuff and leave. It takes time to work through the hurt and anger is a normal response.
  • Your productivity has decreased. You may find yourself thinking about what happened over and over again. Or talking about it a lot to fellow survivors as you all try to process what has happened.
  • You feel fearful for the future. You constantly worry that more retrenchments are coming and are bombarded with “what if” questions like “What if I lose my job and I can’t pay rent” or “What if I can no longer support my family”. The uncertainty feels overwhelming.
  • You feel resentful that you have to take on more work. Not only are you struggling to navigate these difficult emotions, but now you are being asked to take on more work too. It feels unfair.

It is not only important for your functioning at work that you recover, but for your overall well-being. If you are struggling with survivor guilt, use these practical tips to help you to move forward:

  • Stay calm. You have survived this round of retrenchments. You have a job and a salary. Nobody can predict what the future holds, so convincing yourself that you are next is futile. To overcome this panic you can develop a plan for how you will handle it IF there are more retrenchments down the line and what you will do IF you are retrenched. But don’t convince yourself that you are next.
  • Acknowledge that the way you are feeling is normal. You can’t deny the toll this has taken on you. You need time to grieve the loss of your colleagues and the loss of your workplace as you knew it. Don’t convince yourself that you are fortunate and should just put it behind you. Take the time you need to process the emotions.
  • Talk about it constructively. Negative office gossip only serves to promote more negativity and won’t help you to process difficult feelings. Open up to friends, family and colleagues who you can have a productive conversation with.
  • Keep the lines of communication open with your manager. If you have been having a difficult time at work for whatever reason, let your manager know.
  • Practice stress-management and self-care. Don’t expect the feelings to just disappear one day. Take control by proactively working on stress-management and self-care techniques that will help you to feel less overwhelmed.

If you are struggling with the impact of retrenchments contact LifeAssist for professional support.

 

Tarryn Cox | 13 November 2020

Sources: Impact Group HR, Harvard Business Review