Are We Preparing for Job Loss, or Just Worrying About It?

A friend of mine has more than twenty years of experience and works in a senior leadership role at a large organisation. Recently, the company’s CEO publicly announced plans for layoffs as part of cost optimisation. My friend understands that some of the changes are also connected to work that AI can increasingly automate.

Despite receiving an above-average performance appraisal, he has been worrying a great deal about losing his job. An official announcement is difficult to ignore, especially after spending years building a career. Yet he does not know whether his particular role will be affected.

His situation made me think about how many of us respond when our jobs feel uncertain. With loans, family responsibilities and future plans depending on our income, concern is natural. But are we taking steps that would help us deal with a possible job loss, or repeatedly living through the fear of it?

When Worrying Feels Like Preparation

Worry often begins with a useful intention. We want to recognise risks early enough to do something about them. So we read about layoffs, check for changes at work and imagine how we would manage if our salary stopped. Thinking ahead can encourage us to take precautions we might otherwise postpone.

But imagine spending an evening reading reports of layoffs and going over the same frightening possibilities. The next day, you do it again. You feel occupied by the problem, yet you have learnt little that applies to your situation and have taken no action. More time spent thinking has not necessarily made you more prepared.

One question can help us notice the difference: after thinking about this, do I know something useful, have a realistic plan or have I taken a sensible step? If the answer remains no, the worry may be repeating itself. We can take a concern seriously without giving it every free moment.

What Do We Know, and What Are We Assuming?

Hearing about layoffs across an industry, hearing our own CEO announce them and being told that our specific role is affected are different situations. My friend’s organisation has announced a genuine risk. It makes sense for him to understand what he reasonably can and consider his options, rather than dismiss his concern as overthinking.

At the same time, an announcement affecting the organisation does not tell him what will happen to his job. A cancelled meeting or a quiet manager may have many explanations. When we are frightened, it is easy to treat every ordinary event as one more warning, even when it provides no new information.

I have seen how little a strong appraisal can guarantee. I was a top performer with a very good performance review, yet when my company’s priorities changed, the function I led was no longer a focus area. Almost my entire team, including me, was laid off. Performance matters, but organisational decisions can depend on factors beyond our control.

A Backup Plan That Fits Our Circumstances

A practical starting point is understanding what an interruption in income would mean for our household. How much do we need for essential expenses? Which EMIs, school fees, medical needs or family commitments cannot wait? What savings or support could we actually access, and where are our important employment documents?

The answers will be different for everyone. Someone with substantial savings may have time to search for the right opportunity. Someone supporting a family on a tight budget may have fewer choices. Telling everyone to build a large emergency fund ignores those realities. Even a clear picture of expenses and obligations can make an uncertain situation easier to navigate.

A backup plan need not cover every possibility or be reviewed each time we hear worrying news. It should help us know where to begin if circumstances change. Once the basics are in place, we can return to them when there is a meaningful development, rather than repeatedly calculating the same risks.

Keep Our Options Alive While We Are Employed

Professional relationships are another source of support. Over the years, we work with colleagues, customers, managers and people in other organisations, but we may gradually lose touch with them. Reconnecting occasionally, showing genuine interest and learning about their work has value even when we do not need a referral. It also helps us remain aware of opportunities beyond our present employer.

Our skills deserve the same attention. A person may know their company’s products and processes extremely well but struggle to explain what they could offer elsewhere. It helps to identify the problems we have solved, the results we have delivered and the abilities we could use in another role or industry.

Some experience transfers readily, such as solving problems, leading teams or managing relationships. Other roles require specialised knowledge that takes time to develop. Remaining curious, learning where necessary and keeping a record of achievements are reasonable preparations. They also make us better at our present jobs, whether or not we ever face a layoff.

When Fear Starts Making Our Choices

Prolonged worry can affect our judgement. We might resign before understanding the situation, buy an expensive course that promises job security or accept an unsuitable offer simply to feel safer. We may become suspicious of colleagues, read too much into routine feedback or stop giving our current work the attention it deserves.

Sometimes changing jobs quickly is sensible, especially when a role is clearly at risk or a workplace is harmful. But before a major decision, it is worth asking what we know, what we are assuming and whether the action would still make sense if our feared outcome did not happen. Preparation should expand our choices, rather than push us into decisions we may regret.

What Is the Worry Costing Us Today?

There is a cost to constantly expecting the worst. We may be physically present at dinner while thinking about the next announcement, or spend weekends searching for signs of trouble. We can begin losing sleep, confidence and enjoyment long before losing a job. The threat may be real, but that does not mean we have to rehearse it all day.

Job insecurity is not something individuals can solve through positive thinking alone. Employers have responsibilities too, including communicating clearly and treating people fairly. And even with sensible preparation, someone can lose a job and struggle to find another. Being prepared cannot guarantee safety or remove the disappointment and fear that might follow.

Still, we can decide what preparation is reasonable for our circumstances, when to review new information and when to give our attention back to the rest of life. Our sleep, health, relationships and interests matter now. If worry persistently affects everyday functioning, seeking appropriate professional support can also be a useful step.

Prepared for Tomorrow, Present Today

We cannot predict every organisational decision or make our careers completely secure. We can understand our financial responsibilities, maintain genuine relationships, develop capabilities and keep our options open. These actions may not prevent a job loss, but they can give us a clearer starting point if change arrives.

Once we have done what we reasonably can, we should also be able to return to the work, people and experiences in front of us. We prepare for an uncertain future so that we can respond better if it comes, not so that we spend every day living through a loss that has not happened.

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