And next?
What happens after job loss, and how can we be part of someone's plan?
And next?
When my older son was little, he wanted to know every detail of our plan for the day.
First, we’re going to Meijer. And next? Then we’re going to come home and put the groceries away. And next? Next, we will go to Storytime at the library. And next?
He always wanted to know what was next.
What’s next after job loss?
Today I wonder what’s next for the thousands of people who have lost their jobs (and many more who likely will) in the wake of a series of executive orders and funding freezes. I recall a point Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made in a speech he gave in 1961 to the United Auto Workers Union in Detroit. Reflecting on technological and economic changes that were forcing autoworkers out of their jobs, King said,
This to me is a catastrophe. We are neither technologically advanced nor socially enlightened as a nation if we witness this disaster for tens of thousands without finding a solution. And by a solution I mean a real and genuine alternative providing the same living standards and opportunities which were swept away by a force called progress, but for which many is destruction.
To King, our society, particularly those in the auto industry, needed to have a plan for the workers who would lose their jobs.
What’s the plan for the USAID workers who have lost or will soon lose their jobs? What about those employed by nonprofits to serve refugees? What’s next for them? What happens when the severance runs out for the federal workers who take a buyout? What about the federal workers who could be fired? I’m curious if anyone made a plan for them: A plan to help them upskill, revise their resume, or begin a job search. A plan to help them deal with any frustration, pain, and grief they may be feeling.
Human beings or “human scrap”?
When employees are just numbers on a balance sheet, it may be easy to cut them. Eliminate workers. Save dollars.
On a spreadsheet, it’s easy to ignore names and faces. It’s easy not to see people who take pride in their work and have deep friendships with their coworkers. It’s easy to forget the families they need to feed and shelter, the tuition they need to finish their degree, and the health benefits they depend on for their treatments. It’s easy to forget that they’re human.
In that same speech, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “…when human values are subordinated to blind economic forces, human beings can become human scrap.”
So what’s the plan to treat the people who have lost or are about to lose their jobs as human beings instead of inefficient cogs in a wheel or lines on a spreadsheet?
Ways to be part of the plan
I think we can be part of the solution, part of the plan. Here are a few ways we may be able to help those affected by job loss:
Be a friend. Offer a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. Validate their frustration and pain. Show compassion.
Be a networker. Introduce them to friends who may be hiring or know of opportunities. Share job postings on LinkedIn.
Be an advocate. Write the government officials from your state and ask them what their plan is. Advocate for training and job placement services.
Book Update
When Work Hurts comes out one month from today on March 11. 🎉
The audiobook is also scheduled to be available that day. You should be able to begin preordering it in the next two weeks.
Preorders help. Booksellers look at preorder sales to determine if they want to stock the book and how many copies to have on hand for release day. My publisher prefers that you preorder through Amazon. But choose the retailer that suits you.
You can try before you buy. Read a chapter for free to see if you like it.
I’ve already recorded 3 podcast interviews about the book and have a few more on my schedule. I’ll let you know when the episodes drop.
If you work in academia or are thinking about working in academia, join me for an upcoming webinar with Emerging Scholars Network on February 20.
Professional Update
If you follow me on social media, you may have already seen this announcement. I’ve decided to conclude my time at the Max De Pree Center for Leadership at Fuller Seminary to return to consulting. Read more about the transition here.
P.S.
I’m sorry I was MIA for a while. Shortly after my last post, I went down hard with that flu-bronchitis-pneumonia progression that has hit so many people this year. Then, amidst recovering, I decided to change jobs. Hopefully, you’ll see me more often in your inbox from now on.