Are you afraid that you are on your way out of the organization that employs you and very soon you will find yourself without a job? You may or may not be right. Knowing the various indicators of imminent layoffs may tip the scales in your favor when it comes to strategic preparation on your part that will lead, as much as possible, to your preferred outcome. Knowledge is power, and especially knowledge through which you will see the foresight and be able to navigate your way and ensure a smoother transition to a new professional chapter, in the same organization or another. From gut instinct to tangible changes in your work environment, here are 21 red flags that can confirm your uncomfortable suspicion. Paying attention to these signs, as mentioned, may only empower you in planning for the future:
1. Trust your gut:
Your instincts are strong allies. If that nagging feeling persists, it's time to listen. You feel like you've done everything you can, but you still have that sense of 'I might get fired,' you're probably right. Recognizing the need for change early can be the catalyst for a brighter future elsewhere.
2. Harsh criticism of your performance:
Your boss doubts the quality of your performance and implies that you don't live up to expectations. Immediate attention to performance issues is of great importance. Any warning – verbal, written or otherwise – requires immediate action. Take these signals seriously and use them as a roadmap for planning your future.
3. Collapse of communication lines:
Effective communication is the backbone of professional success. It's always a good idea to keep your boss informed to avoid last-minute surprises and maintain a healthy working relationship. If your channels of communication with colleagues or superiors have gone awry, it may be a sign that your presence is becoming unnecessary.
4. Exclusion from important discussions:
Exclusion from essential meetings or email threads may indicate that your place and influence within the organization is diminishing. When your exclusion from important discussions is repeated, you may well be in the process of impeachment.
5. Mission Impossible:
If your tasks took on a new status overnight and suddenly became overwhelming, it could be a deliberate move to prepare you for failure. A company may be looking for evidence to justify your expulsion.
Top view of a young woman sitting at a desk holding a document reading something with a confused facial expression in the office, photo: Kamran Aydinov / Freepik
6. A warning from the boss, or two or three:
Official warnings, whether verbal or written, are never good news. If you get one, be prepared for more bad news to follow. Remember, repeated warnings are a clear sign of trouble.
7. Deterioration of the relationship with the boss:A sudden change in the behavior of your boss
can indicate trouble. Gone are the days of warmth and sympathy giving way to coolness and tension? The discomfort surrounding the manager is actually an atmosphere of layoffs that will come soon.
8. Sudden scrutiny of time and expense reports:
The requirement to provide detailed reports of time or expenses and multiple questions about what is provided in them may signal an effort to build a case against you. Such an examination may imply that your spending, large or small, is now perceived as inflated or excessive, and especially that trust no longer exists there.
9. Reduced responsibility and loss of resources:
Responsibilities that are diminished (especially when your requests for additional work are not met), projects are reassigned, subordinates are dispersed, budgets and tools are essential for optimal performance of your work or are eliminated. All of this indicates a deliberate effort to push you out.
10. Micromanagement or disregard:
Extreme changes in management style, constant petty supervision or sudden disengagement may indicate a lack of trust that will lead to a breakup with you. Micromanagement is always a problem. If it pops up suddenly, i.e. the boss intervenes day and night in every bit, interrupting the continuity of work and undermining your confidence, it's a sign that trouble is coming.
11. Reducing old benefits:
Losing benefits you once enjoyed, such as upgraded accommodations, extended insurance, premium travel, high meal subsidies, corner office, etc., is a sign that your position in society is deteriorating.
12. Lack of recognition of achievements:
Extraordinary achievements go unnoticed by superiors when it is clear that others would be praised. If your efforts are consistently ignored, reacted with indifference, or not responded at all, and you are despite asking for feedback from you, it could be part of a deliberate campaign to distance you from the company.
13. Pay cut or compulsory leave:
A sudden pay cut or a request to take a leave you didn't want can be a veiled signal that your status is in jeopardy. Taking you on forced leave is akin to terminating a relationship, signaling potential trouble ahead.
14. Gossip and strange behavior:
Colleagues avoid you, quiet conversations that end when you approach, or sudden isolation during lunch – all of these may indicate a subtle hint that something is wrong. In general, changes in co-workers' behavior can indicate underlying problems, which may be related to your job security.
15. A new boss:
Personal changes in management, especially for senior officers, can signal an imminent change in organizational dynamics. A new manager, even if he smiles a lot in hallway and elevator meetings, may bring with him changes that include people on his behalf, which may negatively affect the perception of how necessary you are in the organization.
16. Big mistake with consequences:
A move you led and turned out to be a significant mistake that caused external embarrassment or financial loss. Not all mistakes are forgiven, and some can lead to an unplanned breakup.
17. The boss communicates directly with subordinates:
Your supervisor bypasses you and communicates directly with your subordinates. It may be a situation that suggests that you are being considered for release and the search for an alternative has begun. In some cases, a number of candidates have even begun lateral training to find the best, all done under your nose.
A man stares at a computer in boredom, photo: Drazen Zigic / Freepik
18. Limited access to data and information:
Empty folders, invalid passwords, limited access to sensitive data, and generally reduced access to vital information abruptly are a sign of preparations for an imminent end. And if support people can't find time to help you and have become more elusive than usual, the end is probably near.
19. Mergers with an ambiguous future:
After a merger, layoffs are not uncommon. In these times of uncertainty, employees need to stay alert, as duplications can lead to cuts based on profitability calculations, which means unexpected layoffs. Distrust of existing employees in key positions on the part of new board members can also be a reason for firing a post-merger.
20. Financial troubles:
Budget problems, losses, economic crisis, security crisis, etc., can lead to a sudden reduction in departmental spending, including job cuts, regardless of individual performance.
21. Incompatibility with the job and/or company culture:
Not really your dream job, but you needed a job, especially since the employment conditions were good. But your skills and your heart are somewhere else, far away. Sooner or later, they will notice it, talk about it, and make a decision. A discrepancy in principle may jeopardize your continued employment within an organization. This early detection allows you to proactively address the problem.
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