Coping with forced leave in these hard times

On April 7, Alice Namutebi woke up to an unexpected meeting in which her bosses sent her and five other employees on forced leave. Although she was not earning much, her salary was enough to cater for basic needs and pay monthly bills. This was devastating, especially for an employee who had been loyal to the company for eight years. The company too was not getting any revenue because of lockdown.
But how does Namutebi cope amidst this crisis?

Fred Muhumuza, a senior economist says one of the ways of coping is to cut your expenses immediately. “Defer costs that can be postponed such as rent by negotiating with the landlord. Open up to your landlord and let him know what you are going through. However, it make sense if you and your previous payments were always on time,” he says.

He emphasizes that spending less means spending on what matters. “When your income drops, forget about luxuries. A shopping list will help you know what you are spending on, whether it is it essential or not. Food, shelter and basic utilities are essential expenses,” Muhumuza explains.
Seek family support

Unemployment affects the whole family so do not try to shoulder your problems alone. Keeping your job loss a secret will only make the situation worse. Your family support can help you survive during this difficult time. Open up to your family, this will help you ease the stress as you try to cope with the loss of a job. “This is the time to lean on the people who care about you. Keep them in the loop about your job search and tell them how they can support you,” he says.

Try this
Get a low paying job.
In the meantime try and find a job no matter how low it pays. There is nothing wrong with doing a temporary job to support yourself and your family. Look for a job that could help build your resume. For example if you work at a retail store, use it as an opportunity to build your customer service and inventory skills. If you work in fast food restaurant, think about it as learning teamwork and job performance under pressure.