Surviving in these tough economical conditions has become increasingly difficult. The largest of firms are planning layoffs and employees are being fired daily. Just the word “layoff” or thought of losing a job causes much unrest and mental stress. Irrespective of the kind of job you have, temporary or permanent, a person goes through a lot of trauma when an organization plans to lay off people.
No one can know this better than me. I had been betrayed and laid off by Hewlett-Packard as well. It’s amazing how even after years of loyalty, trust and dedication, they simply let me go. But, I guess that’s just how life is nowadays. I worked for HP for many years and saw it grow into the company it is today. However, even then I wasn't valued and was included on the list of employees being laid off by the company back in 2012.
It was during this time that the company announced its future plans and stated it would split into two different organizations. In an attempt to do so, HP stated it would cut 27,000 employees from its global workforce of 300,000 or so. For years, many employees were laid off, but I managed to stay safe. However, in 2014, the company said it would double its target of layoffs to 50,000.
Since the time of the first announcement, 36,000 employees had already been laid off. Therefore, November 2014, along with the 41,000 people I was kicked out of the organization as well. The surprising part is they simply ignored my years of service and loyalty. I requested the company that I was in dire need of a job and couldn’t resist losing the one I had.
However, my request was put on hold and I was never called back. I waited for days and months and even tried securing a job elsewhere. It took time, but now I’m earning once again. Regardless, I have just learnt that the layoffs target might be increased again to 55,000 people. So, if you too work in the company, my advice would be to prepare beforehand for the unexpected.