job ending soon -- keep it private?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have been informed that my position is being phased out. I have several months until that happens.

I am applying for other positions, and have informed a few close colleagues that I am looking for a new position. I am not yet informing colleagues that my position is being eliminated. I figure, if I get another position before then, then I can move on without sharing this layoff issue. Several people I work with are aware of the situation, however.

Is there any up side to letting people know of my situation? It weighs on me, of course, but I think better to play it close to the vest, no need to share it yet. I don't want to broadcast it, but it is not a shameful situation either.

Anyone been in this situation, and how did you handle it?

[Anonymous]

My view has been to share only if/when I think someone can be helpful to me. So if I know that a certain colleague has a friend at company X, where I want to work and I heard may be looking, I may go to that colleague and say "look I"m not talking to everyone about this but I HAVE to leave here for these reasons, can you put me in touch with whoever." Obviously if you do that, that colleague could go broadcast. But my view is, while I'm not ok being talked about if I'm gaining nothing, but if gaining some contacts/interviews results in some discussion of this -- I can live with that. So in my general view -- tell your peers/bosses as they may have contacts/ideas that can help and likely have been/could be in that same situation, while keeping the info as best you can for your subordinates (at least where I work the 25 yr olds are immature enough that act like these things only happen because someone is a poor worker, it could never happen to them etc. so they treat it like scandalous gossip rapther than with the understanding that restructuring happens without fault).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My view has been to share only if/when I think someone can be helpful to me. So if I know that a certain colleague has a friend at company X, where I want to work and I heard may be looking, I may go to that colleague and say "look I"m not talking to everyone about this but I HAVE to leave here for these reasons, can you put me in touch with whoever." Obviously if you do that, that colleague could go broadcast. But my view is, while I'm not ok being talked about if I'm gaining nothing, but if gaining some contacts/interviews results in some discussion of this -- I can live with that. So in my general view -- tell your peers/bosses as they may have contacts/ideas that can help and likely have been/could be in that same situation, while keeping the info as best you can for your subordinates (at least where I work the 25 yr olds are immature enough that act like these things only happen because someone is a poor worker, it could never happen to them etc. so they treat it like scandalous gossip rapther than with the understanding that restructuring happens without fault).

Re 25 year olds. This seems to be the case with older workers, too. They are used to the good employment times and think there must be something wrong with someone who was laid off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My view has been to share only if/when I think someone can be helpful to me. So if I know that a certain colleague has a friend at company X, where I want to work and I heard may be looking, I may go to that colleague and say "look I"m not talking to everyone about this but I HAVE to leave here for these reasons, can you put me in touch with whoever." Obviously if you do that, that colleague could go broadcast. But my view is, while I'm not ok being talked about if I'm gaining nothing, but if gaining some contacts/interviews results in some discussion of this -- I can live with that. So in my general view -- tell your peers/bosses as they may have contacts/ideas that can help and likely have been/could be in that same situation, while keeping the info as best you can for your subordinates (at least where I work the 25 yr olds are immature enough that act like these things only happen because someone is a poor worker, it could never happen to them etc. so they treat it like scandalous gossip rapther than with the understanding that restructuring happens without fault).

Re 25 year olds. This seems to be the case with older workers, too. They are used to the good employment times and think there must be something wrong with someone who was laid off.

I'm the PP and I agree with this too. At my work, the people who are most willing to help others are those who are in their 30s-early 50s; they have seen round after round of downsizing in this or in previous jobs and realize that sometimes it's not about the employee but just about corporate decision making. The older guys in my co. have this view of "well I made all my promotions through the years, so it must be you" -- and are unwilling to acknowledge that the economy has changed a bit in the last several decades and sometimes coming in and working hard just aren't enough anymore and there is some luck/politics at play also.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My view has been to share only if/when I think someone can be helpful to me. So if I know that a certain colleague has a friend at company X, where I want to work and I heard may be looking, I may go to that colleague and say "look I"m not talking to everyone about this but I HAVE to leave here for these reasons, can you put me in touch with whoever." Obviously if you do that, that colleague could go broadcast. But my view is, while I'm not ok being talked about if I'm gaining nothing, but if gaining some contacts/interviews results in some discussion of this -- I can live with that. So in my general view -- tell your peers/bosses as they may have contacts/ideas that can help and likely have been/could be in that same situation, while keeping the info as best you can for your subordinates (at least where I work the 25 yr olds are immature enough that act like these things only happen because someone is a poor worker, it could never happen to them etc. so they treat it like scandalous gossip rapther than with the understanding that restructuring happens without fault).

Re 25 year olds. This seems to be the case with older workers, too. They are used to the good employment times and think there must be something wrong with someone who was laid off.

I'm the PP and I agree with this too. At my work, the people who are most willing to help others are those who are in their 30s-early 50s; they have seen round after round of downsizing in this or in previous jobs and realize that sometimes it's not about the employee but just about corporate decision making. The older guys in my co. have this view of "well I made all my promotions through the years, so it must be you" -- and are unwilling to acknowledge that the economy has changed a bit in the last several decades and sometimes coming in and working hard just aren't enough anymore and there is some luck/politics at play also.

Very true. My father-in-law is old school. Worked in the same company for decades and thinks anyone who gets laid off or moves around has something wrong with them.