- Retrenchment, redundancy, downsizing, rightsizing .………… it does not matter what the term used is, the employee loses his or her job. For those who have to go, the traditional separation benefits, more often than not, do not go far enough to alleviate the emotional trauma and financial hardships that follow.
- Caring and socially responsible organizations can and should do more for the staff that they have no choice but to let go. How? They can provide outplacement help to the staff to enable them to cope better with their job loss and to find another job or form of livelihood in the shortest possible time.
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These are the Training Courses under Job Separation – there are 2 parts: (i) Looking Ahead (ii) Managing The Challenge
Looking Ahead
Module 1 – A New Beginning
They have just been told that their applications to leave have been accepted. Feelings of excitement and elation, however, soon turn into anxiety and, to many, a sense of apprehension and uncertainty over what the future will bring. Did I make the right decision to apply to go? What am I going to do next? What if my money runs out and I still can’t get a job? What if my plans do not work out? …… are some of the questions that begin to plague their minds. This introductory module is, thus, to help the participants “settle down” quickly and, more importantly, guide them to establish a new daily routine and work out their career options.
Module 2 – Money Matters
This module helps the participants to examine their current financial position and the new financial means they now have to live within, at least until they have established a new source of income. For many of them, it is also probably the first time that they will have in hand such a sizeable sum of money (the separation benefits they have received or are about to receive). It is important that they put this money to good use and not spend all of it away foolishly.
Module 3 – The Job Search
In this module the participants will be encouraged to share their thoughts on what they wish to do in the future as well as their concerns. More specifically, it will assist them in assessing their strengths and weaknesses, decide on what they can and would like to do and guide them through the process of effectively looking for the job of their choice.
Module 4 – Going Into Business
This concluding module will prompt the participants to think of going into business as an option they should seriously consider. It will provide them with exploratory and practical ideas on what businesses they can get into and what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur. The fundamentals of setting up a small business and running it well will also be covered
Managing The Challenge
This is a program specially designed to assist Managers in a job-separation exercise cope with and manage the very challenging situation they are in.
Workshop 1 – Pre-Separation Challenge
The communication and implementation of the separation exercise needs to be undertaken in a manner that will have minimal adverse consequences for the organization. The frontline Managers will be the ones who will be required to undertake this task and face the reactions of their staff. It is, therefore, very important that the Managers are well prepared to face the challenge.
Workshop 2 – Post-Separation Challenge
The separation exercise has just been completed. Its effect, however, will continue to be felt for quite some time. In a voluntary exercise, staff who have applied to leave and whose applications have been rejected are bound to feel disappointed and, very likely, even angry. There are now fewer staff at the branch / department, but business / work has to go on. There will be reassignment of duties and responsibilities and some staff will be required to assume increased workloads. There will be feelings of uncertainty and concern, perhaps even fear of what will happen next. In such a situation, therefore, Managers need to be adequately prepared and equipped to face the challenge.