The Grief of Job Loss
One of the first things people ask us when introduced is, “So, what do you do?” What we do for a living forms a huge part our identity: it enables us to feel like productive members of society and usually means we are connected to a larger group. Losing one’s job can strike us a mighty blow at many levels. The grief that accompanies the experience of job loss shares many of the aspects associated with more traditionally recognised losses, but is only recently starting to get the attention it deserves.
In the current unstable economic climate, job loss is a reality for many individuals and families across our community. In the face of falling profits, a number of big companies have shut down or moved their production offshore, leaving gaping holes in the communities that had relied upon them both directly and indirectly for employment. The motor industry offers a stark example of this: when Bridgestone closed their tyre production plants in Australia and New Zealand it was at the cost of 875 jobs. Downsizing and restructuring in Ford, General Motors Holden and Mitsubishi have meant unemployment for almost 2000 more. This news can come with little warning and bleak repercussions; around about one third of manufacturing workers that lose their jobs during downturns such as this will become long-term unemployed1.
Our sense of personal identity is often closely linked to the work we do, through either the status or the sense of satisfaction it affords us. We invest a great deal of ourselves in our jobs; it is our reason for getting up five (or so) days a week and our means of supporting our chosen lifestyle. Jobs enable us to feel productive and connected, and in many cases our colleagues form an important part of our social lives as well.
The experience of losing a job is likely to be as multifaceted as the relationship we have with that job. The immediate practical issues of financial security are but the tip of the iceberg. Emotional repercussions usually figure just as largely: rejection of any kind is damaging to self esteem, and being made redundant is no exception. People can feel hurt and angry, even hopeless, incompetent or useless. They may feel abandoned and betrayed by their company, especially if they have devoted many years or a lot of energy.
The grief that accompanies job loss has only recently come to be recognised as significant and legitimate. A big difference between the grief experienced in response to a death as opposed to a job loss is that while death is seen as an inevitable (albeit tragic) life event, job loss is perceived in terms of personal failure. It is not uncommon for people to react to the experience with depressive symptoms. Anxiety and feelings of desperation regarding the future may also result. Drug and alcohol use may increase as a response to these feelings of frustration and apprehension, and the combination of these emotional responses and behaviours can hamper a person in their attempts to seek new work. People who are newly bereaved are often advised to hold off making any big decisions regarding their life, whereas those who have just been retrenched are forced to do just that.
Sometimes job loss is swift and comes with no warning, while in other cases people are given notice and time to prepare. As Jim Davis of the Job Loss Survival Guide2 puts it, the former deals a dislocating shock that may leave the person in disbelief; the latter, while giving the benefit of some time to adjust and prepare, may carry the feeling of a being given a terminal diagnosis but knowing that after ‘death’ you will still have debts and responsibilities. Being one of the few who keeps their job after a major upheaval in one’s workplace may be cold comfort. Those ‘lucky’ ones left behind may experience survivor’s guilt as they watch their friends and colleagues leave, harbour resentment towards the company that they must now go on serving, or feel fearful that their job may also soon be on the line.
Research is increasingly focussing on how best to support people through a job loss experience. Employers and job-seeking services will be at the centre of such study, but we can all take steps to support ourselves and others. Here are some tips to help you or your loved one to get through.
Managing Job-Loss Grief3
· Be open about what has happened to you. Don’t be afraid to say, “I lost my job.” You may be surprised at how many people you meet have had similar experiences.
· Become part of a support group. It can be especially helpful to talk to (and listen to) a group of people who are in your situation.
· Process your emotions. Admit your anger, fear, frustrations to yourself and to those around you.
· Affirm yourself. You may be feeling guilty because you believe that you let your family down even though you know your job loss had nothing to do with anything you did. Recognise that you have done and are doing the best that you can.
· Take time to renew and deepen relationships. Your marriage and family, and your friends can be a source of strength that is stronger than you realised.
· Maintaining or renewing spirituality can be just as helpful as your relationships with other people.
· Keep your sense of humour. Laughter is as important to your health as physical exercise and a good diet.
1 Associate Professor John Spoehr, Executive Director of the Australian Institute for Social Research, on ABC News