Break the Layoff Taboo Critique

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De La Salle University

Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business

Master’s of Business Administration

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Course Requirements in

Human Resource Management with Organizational Behavior

(HRM535M)

A Critique Paper on

Break the Layoff Taboo and Make Outplacement a Benefit by Sanjay Sathe

Submitted by:

Nicole Anne E. Samaniego

Submitted to:

Rachel Quero

December 03, 2016

The article entitled Break the Layoff Taboo and Make Outplacement a Benefit by Sanjay Sathe. The article talked about the ongoing norm that employees, or rather, organizations stay quiet about the topic when it comes to layoff. I think, being quiet is a natural reaction for employees whenever they overhear or they hear the word “layoff” within their organization. It is inevitable to feel ashamed when talking about such a sensitive topic, especially when you are a victim of it, as they usually see this as something degrading or embarrassing. Employees, who are working up the ladder, like me, often think that the worst part of being separated from the company you work for is for a reason that you are not even at fault for. There are a hundred of reasons why companies undergo layoffs, majority of these reasons fall under financial problems or a sudden shift in the market to meet the goals and demands of the customers.

What I liked about the article is that, it shed a new light for those who have fallen victim of this unfortunate event. Layoff is a common word for everyone in the corporate world, may it be a small, medium or big enterprise. Usually, in an organization, the word “layoff” is not something to be talked about, it’s a secret or something confidential. This mentality leaves an emotional impact on employees. They, or rather, we, get scared of what is to come. After all, we are all working for our future. We all have big dreams to fulfill. The article mentioned that it would be better for companies to address this issue by creating an outplacement service. An outplacement, briefly defined, is a benefit provided for employees who have been laid off in order to help them find a new employment.

I, myself am part of a multinational company whose prone to laying off its employees depending on the need or the shift of the market. Recently, we had just received the news that the company was to cut-off 2,000 employees, from 150 branches of 39 countries globally. The first reaction that instilled in me was panic. I didn’t know what to feel or what to do. Should I start letting my resume fly? Should I start talking to friends for available job openings? Should I wait? These were all thoughts that lingered in my head for a couple of weeks until the final announcement was made. Although, we were familiar that the company needs to give at least a 30-month notice and that there is ample time given for you to re-train someone else aside from that the company shouldering two-month worth of your salary until the employee finds a new job. When I read the article, it hit me, why didn’t the company think of an outplacement service? A program that would help us cope up with this kind of event. The challenge in our job is that, our roles are not as easy to find or as generic to look for when you are job hunting. As mentioned in the article, an average person takes about 8 months to look for a job, and we all know how hard it is to look for a job, especially when you know time is not stopping you from ageing. Age is a big factor in employment, the older you get and the longer you are unemployed, the harder it is for you to look for a job.

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