The last few years have been fraught with change. The pandemic wreaked havoc on our personal lives and on our economy followed by one economic crisis after the other. Millions around the world have lost their jobs, scores of small businesses have shut down and people are being laid off as we speak. Even within our own organizations, some of our colleagues may have lost their jobs.

Survivor’s guilt is a term typically used when a one person survives an accident or calamity when someone alongside them does not. This can lead to the survivor feeling guilty about surviving the traumatic event while the other did not. This term can also be used in this situation when one person in the team has been retained while a colleague has been let go of. You may miss the person who shared your office space, and one perhaps you had conversations with and was possibly a friend.

Laid off co-workers are experienced as a loss by the survivors. Coping with this loss is a matter of letting go over time and after passing through the stages of grief. This can be a confusing time for a lot of reasons, and the confusion over how to react when a colleague has lost his or her job can be one of them.

Here’s what you can do if you are in this position.

1. Do not speak ill of your employers. While the urge to talk to other colleagues about the situation might be high and it is natural to want to analyze the situation, most experts agree that it is wise to refrain from criticizing and in other ways being negative about one’s employers. This can jeopardize your job and it can also create a toxic work culture that will inhibit both yours and the company’s growth.

2. Be a source of support. Reach out to the colleague and listen to them. Be a good listener and help them deal with their emotions. Validate that their sadness and anxiety is real. Validate their worries about the future. You might not have solutions to their problems but having someone to talk to can help them deal with their issues better.

3. Continue being friends. If the colleague was a friend, do continue being friends with the individual. Ending of the work relationship need not mean the end of the friendship. However be careful about sharing any work related information. This could be difficult because you could have a pattern of discussing work and it might be difficult not. However this is something you will need to pay special attention to.
4. Take stock of your own work life. Think of an action plan yourself. From upgrading your skills to getting the additional work done, there are tasks that you need to focus on. What do you have to do cope with work effectively yourself?

Alongside guilt, there can also be anxiety about the safety of your own jobs, and possible salary reduction (which is happening in a lot of companies now). It is normal to be worried about your job safety at a time like this. None of us want to lose our jobs and we all have a lot riding on our ability to earn in the foreseeable future. Having frank conversations with your manager can help if you are worried about your future in the company. It is advisable to schedule a meeting with your manager and talk about your concerns.