How is job loss viewed across different cultures? Why?
The work equivalent of, “It’s not you, it’s me” can be horrific for anyone that has been through it.
Recently, I was speaking with someone who had lost their job (as have many this year: one source, Layoffs.FYI, has 362 companies (so far, at time of writing) who have laid off over 106k employees this year: and that’s just in tech.
So, what takes place during that period of transition? What are the natural feelings? How does that change or vary by culture?
We asked for input recently on this topic, and we received a number of responses: some are highlighted below.
Nandhini Venkateswaran
Nandhini, a communications professional (and my former colleague), who describes her background as Indian and Tamil, shared that in cities in India, a woman losing her job is met with positivity, encouragement and also advice on how it’s time she turned her attention to home, hobbies and health.
A man losing his job on the other hand is met with negativity, questions and judgement. There’s an expectation from men be the primary bread winner. Women are more supportive when someone around them loses their job, regardless of gender. Men are less supportive and more critical when someone around loses their job.
Indians also feel a very high pressure to go out of their way to explain why they lost their job and the circumstances leading up to it. Listeners also expect this level of detail sometimes. Future interviewers are also generally interested in learning the details and circumstances. It’s almost as if a judge is trying to rule if you’re innocent or not. They want to know if your performance has a part in it, I would believe.
Nandhini adds that it’s not just about finding that next role: but, that employers have much work to be done on how they go about doing layoffs. It brings the type of leaders that utter things like “Dumb Dolphins” to mind.
During layoffs, while the stress comes from “what’s next” and the job application process once again in life, the surprise/shock comes from how the situation is handled by the company and how you are treated as soon as they establish you will be laid off. Employers have a long way to go in terms of being human and decent when letting people go for their convenience, especially since layoffs in multinational are not performance based.
Miki Yamada
Miki, an Associate Director for Learning and Development, was born and grew up in Japan, but has lived in 20+ countries and worked with more than 50 nationalities. She shares, “I feel I became a global citizen.”
She shares, in Japan, traditionally, it is valued to stick to one company for their life-time. Changing jobs is not a good thing, and losing a job carries a stigma and brings shame (the concept of saving face is very relevant.)
My husband works for a goverment agency, he never changed jobs, but he was supportive for my career choices. As a family, we are balanced in the career portfolio: husband working for a traditional Jaapanese organization/ male-bonding membership-based company, wife working for fast-changing global companies & professional firms valuing independence and capabilities
What I have found helpful to people is to point out that they are actually going through a loss and once they realise this, they can be more compassionate with themselves and allow themselves to feel what they feel.” Source: BBC
Maybe you’ve never lost a role, but you’ve had to let people go, or, you’ve had friends let go and now you’re not sure about the rules of engagement. We’ve got some items to help walk through that, below.
If you’re going through a job loss, and you’re experiencing an array of emotions, it’s key to know: you are normal! You are also MORE than your job.
Psychologists note that losing a job often equates to the grief of losing a loved one; the emotional trajectory can include any of the stages of grief, which run from shock and denial, through to anger and bargaining, and eventually to acceptance and hope. David Kessler has an array of resources that you may find helpful in dealing with grief, too.
Please know that you are NOT alone and life is worth living. If you need help, please reach out to a local professional or organization who can help you.
This is a great read from Melinda Smith of HelpGuide.org with some very practical steps to help you through some of the heavy emotions you’ll feel after enduring a job loss.
Mita Mallick, WSJ Best Selling Author and workplace strategist has been laid off, and she knows what is feels like, and what helped her walk through to the other side. Check out this article for five practical ideas on how you can help.
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