It may be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel just after you’ve been handed your P45, but remember – it isn’t your fault. You may be hurt, disappointed – even angry – and probably panicking about how you’re going to pay your rent, but there might be a silver lining.
Being laid off can be an opportunity for change, growth and new beginnings. It can open your eyes to possibilities that you may never have considered had you stayed in your current role. That side hustle you’ve been putting off for so long? Career change? Why not start now?
Below, eight women – who preferred not to share their surnames – who have been made redundant describe their experiences, and how they all bounced back…
*Some names have been changed to protect identities.
The story was originally published in January of 2022 and has been updated.
I had just turned 30 when I found out that I was being laid off and the online magazine I loved – and was deputy editor of – was to close. Being called into a room and told that all this was to end was incredibly sad. Nothing prepared me for it.
It’s easy to take these things personally but my mum gave me the best advice: “This is just business.” It wasn’t about me, it was a business decision being made by a huge global company.
It felt like a horrible break-up but after two weeks of agonising over it I decided to take the plunge and take redundancy. I was in shock for about a month but I picked myself up and took my career to the next level. In many ways, it was the best thing I ever did even though it was fucking terrifying at the time.
My first redundancy knocked my confidence as I always thought there had to be something wrong with me to be let go, rather than identifying it as an industry issue. It was tough and I worried about how I was going to pay my bills.
At the time I was miserable and earning a pittance. I felt emotionally abused at work. I always brushed over how bad it actually was because I needed to stay in the job to pay rent. But when I was made redundant, it was a real moment of clarity.
It helped me deal with my next two redundancies better and I was able to separate myself from the situation. It’s a horrible thing to happen and can affect anyone but in hindsight it was for the best.
I’d been working for a startup for over six years when they started talking about a restructure. I took redundancy instead of reapplying for my role. I was terrified as I hadn’t been out of work for 11 years since I graduated and the pay barely covered me for a month.
It was emotional and one of the most stressful experiences of my life. I wasn’t sleeping, and my family were worried about how I’d financially cope. I suffered some of the worst anxiety and panic attacks of my life.
But I knew it was the right thing to do. I wasn’t happy and it would have been like staying in a relationship you just know isn’t working. And I’m so proud of everything I’ve done in the last six months – all my freelance work, writing for the biggest media companies and brands, connecting with new people and diversifying my skill set.
My redundancy taught me to be braver. Throwing myself out of my comfort zone tested me, but now I worry less when a new opportunity comes along and I think it’s given me more confidence. If I hadn’t made the leap I would have been stable but unhappy, and not learning anything new.
A couple of years ago I was made redundant. It came one Friday afternoon and it hit me like a ton of bricks. The words “We’re letting you go” don’t really sink in until you’re alone in your room at night, trying to fix your CV with tears falling down your face.
My redundancy made me realise how unhappy I was with my job. I didn’t realise it at the time but it was having a huge effect on my mental and physical health. I became apathetic, uninterested in anything and stressed. But life goes on. Employment comes and goes. You begin to realise you need to be selfish.
I can happily say I’m content. Being laid off was the best thing that happened to me because it taught me resilience, to be selfish and to go after what I want in life.
I was told my role was at “risk of redundancy”. I knew what was coming. As I left the office, I felt like I wanted to cry – not because I was sad but because I was relieved. I hated that job and I was relieved that I could leave the toxic environment and do what I wanted. I said to myself: It’s done now, I’m finally leaving. The question was, where did I want to go?
I decided to go freelance, which has opened so many doors for me. It’s been nine months since my redundancy and I couldn’t be happier with my decision. It gave me the push I needed, helped me face my insecurities and build my confidence again.
It’s been the highlight of my career and pushed me in the right direction. I’m certainly still stressed and anxious but at least it’s by my own rules.
The news that redundancies were coming wasn’t a shock – in the two years that I’d been in that job we’d been through three ‘restructures’ as a team.
One person from my team was going to be made redundant, and I decided to put my name forward for voluntary redundancy as I felt stuck in the role. It was a decision I did not take lightly, but when I got confirmation via a Zoom call that my request to be made redundant had been accepted I felt very mixed emotions. I was relieved in one sense, but scared because now it was real. There was no going back and frankly I had no idea what was coming next. I also felt guilty because I knew my colleagues had no idea and were adamant about fighting this. And of course, I was a little bit upset – there was a part of me wanting them to say “no you’re too valuable to lose”.
I remember apologising a lot to the colleagues I was close to, and spending some nights crying but then others celebrating. It was really dependant on the day. After my last day I went away for a weekend to just rest and recuperate.
I found out in September and fought to work my notice period essentially giving myself four extra weeks. That way, I knew I’d get a salary for October, my redundancy package (which was the equivalent of one month’s salary) in November, and I was due to have some money coming back into my account following a failed trip earlier that year due to COVID-19 in December. So financially I knew I was covered for three months and could refocus on what it was I wanted to do next.
It’s just over three years now since I was made redundant, but it’s the best decision I could have made. Since then I’ve had the opportunity to work freelance for companies I had only dreamed of (still more on the bucket list though) and progressed in my career a lot quicker than I had ever imagined.
I was made redundant while I worked as a manager at a PR agency. At the time of redundancy, I had been there for a year and a half. It was very sudden and the reason we were given (as there was a few of us) was “due to shifting some things around” – so not really a reason.
To be honest, I was unhappy in the job and had one foot out the door already. I cried immediately after it happened and about thirty seconds later, I realised it was probably for the best because I loved the people I worked with and would’ve stayed just for them, and not because I liked the job. At the point of redundancy, I had just been offered another role, but wasn’t 100% sure about leaving so it gave me the push I needed. I would’ve probably still been there if not for it.
I’d only just joined a travel communications company when COVID-19 hit and travel was obviously one of the industry’s worst effected.
Nine months into the role, I was made redundant. My main concern was my London flat share rent, as I had very little savings to tide me over. Also, as I’d been at the company for less than two years I didn’t get any redundancy pay.
Everything felt a bit scary at that time but I kept the mentality that so many people were going through far worse, plus I had a strong network of friends and family for that emotional support. I was able to apply for universal credit to help with my rent and bills whilst looking for more work. Being in a tricky situation added some fire in my belly so I started emailing companies offering my freelance services. This involved a lot of working for nothing at the beginning, but this all helped to grow the business I have today, KF Comms. You reap what you sow!
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