Knowing that your job is being made redundant and that you are heading for retrenchment can be stressful and anxiety-provoking for anybody. Even people who have chosen to be retrenched when options were presented can feel quite anxious about the future and unsure about whether they have made the right decision. Those who have redundancy thrust upon them often experience a range of challenging emotions with anger about what has been done to them high on the list.
Whatever the circumstances, the prospect of retrenchment calls for a clear head, rational decision-making and resourcefulness, all of which can seem completely out of reach when you feel you’re in the middle of a crisis that is not of your own making. It’s important to know that there are practical things you can do to make the journey easier on yourself and those close to you like family and friends. The four ways to a better outcome involve:
1. managing your reactions;
2. giving serious consideration to assistance offered;
3. proactively seeking any support you need; and
4. focusing on the future – building on the past.