7 Signs of an Impending Layoff

With the economy as bad as it is, it's no wonder that people are getting laid off as companies struggle to make ends meet and have to resort to letting employees go in order to save some money. Even if you are doing your job well, don't be surprised when your boss tells you it's time to go. Make no mistake, being laid off and being fired are two different things (at least in this context). Understand that in times of economic turmoil like these, where we would suffer to the point of needing a "financial bailout," anything is possible. Even you, losing your job after working as a dedicated employee for, let's say, 20 years. Here are some warning signs that are usually followed by a lay off. But remember, correlation does not equal causation.

You get an unexpected email from your boss.

"Well, he's never been that friendly to me before," you think. He's not. As your supervisor, it is his job to tell you when it is your time to go. By calling you to his office, he is saving you the dignity to leave on your own. Granted, everyone will know once you are gone, but at least you're not there to hear the backtalk. Trust me, you'd much rather be laid off in a one-on-one setting that having a big scene in the workplace so everyone can poke their heads out of their cubicles and stare at you.

Your boss is cold.

Like Wicked-Witch-of-the-West cold (or maybe North is more fitting). Either way, most employees strive to have at least a cordial relationship with their supervisor or boss. If you get a feeling that he or she is ignoring you and you aren't on as good terms as things used to be, get ready for a move out. Your boss delegates who gets laid off, so he or she probably knows what's in store for you. By ignoring you, purposely not making eye contact, or avoiding you, your boss is trying to give you a heads up of what is to come.

Your job is now a combination of Fred's and Tony's.

If you find that your workload is getting smaller and smaller, figure out what's going on. It is highly unlikely that you, a vital part of this company, has suddenly been made obsolete by some sort of new technology you've never even heard about. Most likely, your tasks and duties have been delegated to other employees as they get ready to let you go.

Your company is on a budget.

Or should I say, budget cut. Every time a company has to cut its budgets and spending, it hates to cut out employees. That's usually why employees get laid off as a worst case scenario, but it's never safe. If you should find out that your company hasn't been meeting expectations and making profits, and if they should so happen to announce a "budget cut," get ready to see the jobs opening up.

There have already been lay offs.

In case you are wondering, laying people off is not a one time thing. Usually, companies hate doing it more than once, but if they find that even after laying off so many of your coworkers that there still is too much spending going on, they will be forced to do it again. And this time it could be you. Rebuilding a company during economic crisis is a difficult thing to do, and rebounds don't happen overnight.

The watercooler is quiet. Too quiet.

There may be a select few of you still in the room. The rest of the employees are in some sort of conference going on at the end of the hall, and you can see everyone sitting down in the glass conference room talking about something. Could it be about new projects that you're not going to be part of? What is with this shunning of a select few of you?

Depending on how your boss decides to do things, there are 2 possibilities. Either 1) Everyone in the conference room is about to get laid off, and the select few still in your cubicles are still safe, or 2) everyone in the conference room is getting ready to start a new project, and the select few in their cubicles are about to be sent home. A lot of companies do things differently, but if you encounter this situation, and any of the other signs in this article has happened to you, guess what - most likely you got shafted.

Your company gets "bought out."

This really isn't a guarantee that you'll be laid off, but most likely your new boss will want to run things a little differently. And, well, he has other employees as well. So in order to make things run more efficiently, he's going to have to cut some jobs so that the department doesn't get too bloated.

Your friend Bill in the HR department isn't getting any sleep.

If things around your Human Resources department aren't calm and quiet, things are happening.

Sometimes, it is inevitable to see some lay offs for a company to make ends meet. If you are just one of the unlucky ones who gets the hammer, notice these signs early so that you can search for a new job without wasting any down time in between. And don't make things personal. Unless you want to.