Relief isn’t the only emotion employees feel when they’re left standing aftercompany layoffs, said Barbara Kiviat in Time. Some feel anxiety. “It’s depressing,” says one market researcher in New York City. “People say at least you have a job, you should be grateful. Well, I’m not sure how happy I am.” After the initial shock of layoffs wears off, surviving employees often suffer from anger, guilt, envy, and other emotions. Left unchecked, this black cloud of gloom can hang over employees for as long as a year, dragging down productivity when it’s needed most.
Managers need to address this “affliction” before it becomes an office epidemic, said Rebecca Reisner in BusinessWeek. “Fortunately, business consultants say, survivor’s guilt is highly responsive to treatment.” The remedy: Among other things, let surviving employees know that letting go of their colleagues was a last resort, and acknowledge that such transition isn’t easy for anyone, yourself included. Then emphasize the company’s plans for the future and the important role each employee plays. “Get employees thinking about the here and now instead of the good old days with their now-departed colleagues.”
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