Livestreaming Layoffs - Feb 9, 2024 Newsletter

Hello, Friday, old friend! 🤗 Join us as we talk about the dreaded L word (layoffs) and why livestreaming them might not be a good idea, all while tech workers get fired over Zoom.

PLUS… A résumé writing checklist to help you find your next job. 🎁

The term “tech layoffs” has seemingly been invading news headlines every week since the COVID-19 pandemic, which marked the first wave of job cuts — about 70,000 of them in just the first and second quarters of 2020. By Q4 2023, nearly 500,000 people had lost their jobs at tech giants like Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Google… the list goes on.

And layoffs in the tech industry continue to mount, with 30,000 employees finding themselves out of work in January 2024 alone. 😱

But lately, people have started to livestream their layoffs on TikTok and X.

One tech worker, Britanny Pietsch, posted a 9-minute video where she was informed by two people she never met before that she had failed to meet “expectations for performance” and that she was being laid off from Cloudflare.

When probed for specific reasons why she’s among the workers being cut, the representatives declined to provide any, even after she detailed the positive feedback she had received during her time at the company. 😠

Like Pietsch, many other workers have been dismissed in a video call in their own home, making it a particularly isolating event, especially if it’s their first layoff.

But while livestreaming their layoffs can be seen as empowering and transparent, and can offer support and solidarity, experts are warning against it entirely, as it can have serious, long-term implications for their career down the line.

In fact, if it goes viral, it’s likely that the recruiters and hiring managers at the next company would have seen it. 👀 And they probably won’t be impressed by your public sharing of a company’s inner workings.

The big, bad layoffs and how to navigate them 🧭

“The year of layoffs”: 2023 sure earned itself that title. But just 6 weeks into 2024, we’re already seeing the same scenario play out again: companies including Microsoft, Google and Amazon have already begun another round of cutting jobs. 🪓

So, what do you do if you find yourself out of work one morning with little to no warning?

1. Find out the exact cause of your termination. Is your employer letting you go because you’ve breached your contract, or were you just caught up in a wider wave of layoffs?

2. Know what’s in your employment contract. Does your employer have a severance plan in effect? Depending on the reason you were let go, you may be legally entitled to compensation.

3. Learn your statutory rights. These are state and federal laws concerning unemployment benefits, advance notification of substantial layoffs and more. See what applies to you.

Though it might be tempting (and even reasonable sometimes) to want to protest the decision and fervently express your disappointment, it’s likely in your best interest to control your emotions and reactions. 😮‍💨

It’s worth it to stay on the good side of former colleagues and managers where possible, as their letters of recommendation and professional connections can help you find your next role.

In the meantime, do turn to your own network, too. Update your LinkedIn profile and résumé when you’re ready, and set up alerts on job boards for roles that could potentially suit you.

Time to start the job search again?

Whether you’ve been laid off or you want to make a change, you’ll need to update your résumé to put your best foot forward. Not sure how? With our Résumé Writing Checklist, we’ll walk you through the process step by step so you can land your next (bigger and better) job! 

Stay tuned for more awesome gifts.

Catch you on the flippity flip :)

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