How to handle layoff rumours

You have all heard of those lay off rumours. Rumours that unsettle workers, especially when targets are not adding up.
John Nyende (not real name) worked in a media company and word had been spreading around of an impending lay off of some workers.

While many panicked, Nyende had laid out a plan in the form of an almost briefcase Public Relations company that he would fall back to if the worse came to worst.

Such times (lay offs) are full of anxiety and panic that is characterised by continued dips in numbers resulting from stress, low productivity and loss of confidence. These usually have a negative impact on the end product.

So as an employee and manager how do you deal with lay off rumours, given that they have the potential to negatively impact business.

According to Michael Collins Turyakira, a human resource manager and programme associate at Green Resources Uganda, employees should always know that anything can happen.
“Targets have to be met and failure will have serious implications, which might require the company downsizes to stay afloat,” he says.

However, in such times, according to David Omoding, a communications officer at Platform for Labour Action, employers must make sure that workers remain calm as well as ensuring that they strictly follow labour laws in case they consider any form of laying off.

“Labour laws protect employees. Therefore, as a worker, make sure you understand them and know what you are due in case you have been considered for laying off,” he says, cautioning that employees must establish facts and not rely on rumours because it drains productivity.

However, the best thing to do is to find a way through which you will survive beyond your current job.
Being employed is not a destiny. Unless you have your own business you can never be sure that you have a job. Therefore during times of hardship companies will lay off people and in such times, career experts advise, the company is not necessarily targeting you and you should never be impulsive.

Stay calm amid rumours
• Stay positive
Since you have no control over the results of an imminent layoff, according to Turyakira, “never make assumptions. Prepare what you can and stay positive”.
“Staying optimistic prepares you for what might come,” he says, stressing that even when it is hard to avoid listening to ‘corridor talks’, you should not submit your fate to rumours.
This, according to Rogers Barigayomye, a management consultant, will help you dedicate more efforts towards your job, which in the end might reverse the gloomy fortune on the business.
• Keep an updated resume
Many people get comfortable in their jobs and ignore things such as updating their resumes. However, this must become a routine. Do not wait for hard times or when you are laid off to start fidgeting with updating your resume.
• Network
The best time to dig up contacts and networks is when there are uncertainties. Get into your contacts, according to Turyakira, and find potential employers. This, he says, not only gives you a fall back but also boosts your confidence.
• Polish your interview skills
When you are laid off, it is natural that you will lose some bits of confidence. Therefore, prepare for such eventualities by partly polishing your interview skills to set your self for new opportunities.
“Remember when are laid off, you will have to compete with other people to get a job. Therefore, prepare ahead,” he says.

Avoid impulsive decisions

• Regret your decision thereafter
Making impulsive decisions, especially when it comes to career, is usually a bad idea. Some will resign during such times but what if you are actually not on the list? You might even wake up the following day and realise it was just a bad rumour.

• Bad financial idea
Impulsive decision might make you leave your job or even make you an ineffective worker. This will certainly distort your income and might have serious repercussions.

• Injure your professional reputation
Whenever you are leaving a job, you do not want to burn bridges. If you quit impulsively, it may be the last time you will probably interact with your employer. Therefore, your will go down as a quitter and this is definitely going to injure your reputation.

HR functions

After traversing the globe as an HR manager for British American Tobacco (Equatorial Africa as well as West and Central Africa) and Royal Dutch Shell (Anglophone) among others, Owor believes that the HR profession occupies a very strategic position in any organisation. Often some HR practitioners lack required skills and take a back seat only to take directives from different departments and the chief executive.

“HR managers have to be in a driver’s seat to drive the company in the right direction. HR is not about signing sacking letters. The HR role is a lot more strategic than just signing appointment letters,” he says.

Beyond managing the human resources of a company, HR is also mandated with developing employee skills and how they do it, must be factored into their performance.

“Sometimes people underestimate the impact that leadership can have on the progress of a company. How do you manage your people so that they feel valued, engaged and part of an organisation?” these according to Awor are important factors that will require a competent HR manager.