"Maria" had worked in the accounting department for 15 years. She was a good worker and was well liked by her co-workers and supervisors. Nevertheless, she feared the worst when the company announced a large-scale layoff. When she learned that she was one of the few employees in the department who was not being laid off, her immediate response was great relief, "I kept my job!"  But soon, a flood of other emotions overcame her. She felt sad and irritable. She wondered, "Why do I feel angry, when I should be grateful to still have a job?"  Maria began to think, "If this happened to my co-workers, I could be next..." Anticipating the days ahead, she realized she would now have a heavier workload, due to the layoff. She felt worried, discouraged, and unmotivated. In fact, the next day she decided to call in sick and stay home.

What happened to Maria is known as "Layoff Survivor Syndrome" - a set of emotional and behavioral reactions often seen in workers who remain on the job after a downsizing has been implemented. Companies usually pay much more attention to the employees who are leaving, but the survivors are also victims of the layoff. They may experience a wide range of strong feelings:  loss, sadness, fear, anger, anxiety, insecurity, and guilt. If not managed well, these emotions can affect the employee's job performance, physical health, and attitudes toward the workplace.

Research has shown that Layoff Survivor Syndrome can have a damaging impact on morale, productivity, and profitability throughout the organization. This happens in a number of ways:

Clearly, the failure to anticipate and manage this reaction can be extremely costly, potentially undoing the financial benefits expected from the downsizing.

If you are experiencing Layoff Survivor Syndrome, the first step is to acknowledge your emotions and seek to understand them. It is natural to have strong feelings when you almost lost your job. Now, your goal is to work through these emotions, so you can move forward in your career and in your life. In a sense, you have been given an opportunity to build your personal resilience (see the book review below).

There are a number of steps you can take, for example:

If you think your reaction to the layoff is lingering too long, getting worse, or interfering with your work, health, or relationships, don't hesitate to seek professional assistance. Your company's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can be a good source of support and guidance through this challenging time. Counseling can help you regain your ability to focus on your work.

Managers are also susceptible to Layoff Survivor Syndrome, especially those in the human resources field who must carry out the thankless task of implementing the downsizing. A word of advice to managers:  while trying to help your remaining workforce get back up to speed, don't forget to take care of yourself. You may be feeling the same fears, regrets, or sadness as your co-workers. Maybe you have to work extra hard to keep yourself going, while supporting and motivating your team. You, too, can profit from confidential EAP management consulting services or individual coaching, to help you lead effectively in the midst of a difficult situation. A post-layoff group debriefing intervention can also help the management team prepare emotionally for the tough task of recovery.

For more information, resources, and tips on managing Layoff Survivor Syndrome, click here.

This critically acclaimed book provides techniques for building hardiness in order to succeed in stressful circumstances. Certainly workplace challenges are plentiful during these tumultuous times. How we deal with large over-all issues as well as day-to-day stresses, will determine whether we succeed or fail. The upside of change can be an opportunity for employees to learn and grow. The downside is to become absorbed in self-pity, depression, or hopelessness.
 
Maddi and Khoshaba have designed this text to teach the skills of hardiness - patterns of attitudes and behavior that help us to be resilient by surviving and thriving under stress. Based on their twenty years of experience in research and practice, the authors show how to flourish in the 21st century workplace by internalizing hardiness traits.
 
Resilience at Work is filled with case studies of numerous work-related situations where individuals learned and applied the "hardy attitudes" ("3 C's") of Commitment, Control and Challenge. As I read the studies and practical examples of real life work situations, I was impressed with the authors' grasp of today's dilemmas and how both employers and employees changed as they learned to be hardier. Step by step, the reader learns how to become more resilient in the most trying circumstances.
 
Using this book as a teaching tool in business workshops has potential for enhancing positive personal and organizational change. The bottom line, according to the authors is, "However difficult the change, you choose the way you see it".  If you choose to make good use of stressful changes (which we all experience in living), you'll have a better chance to thrive.

Mary Jane Leone is an educator, who serves as consultant to Lucy L�pez-Roig EAP, Inc.