It is important to know your rights if you are facing redundancy or you have been made redundant. Redundancy should be fair and never passed on characteristics such as age, disability, gender or mental health. Check out the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service’s (ACAS) information on redundancy and rights here

Name the emotions you are feeling and allow yourself to feel them without judging yourself or comparing yourself to other people and their feelings. You may feel in denial, upset, shocked, angry, confused, scared or even excited or relieved. It is common to feel a lot of emotions during a period of redundancy and you are on your own journey. Talk to your colleagues, friends, family members, adviser or a counsellor about how you feel so they can support you. It can be good to say out loud how you feel or you could even write about it.

Many people take redundancy personally, thinking that they are not liked by their employer or their employer is out to get them. This can make you feel insecure and hurt. Losing your job can affect your confidence, purpose and identity. It is important to remember that being made redundant is not your fault, it doesn’t mean your employer dislikes you either. Redundancy can happen to anyone at any time.

Your finances are important when it comes to redundancy and it is important you make sure you are able to pay your housing costs and bills. Being worried about money can make our mental health worse. A good first step is to create a budget to help you manage your outgoing costs. Debt charity StepChange have some advice on how to create a budget, click here to view this.

Think about the jobs and experiences you have had and think about what you enjoyed, what you were good at, your achievements and what you would like to improve going forward. Being aware of what you are good at/not good at, your achievements and what you enjoy/don’t enjoy and why can be very helpful when thinking about what jobs you want to apply for next. Try to think about what is important to you in a job too.

Redundancy can be an opportunity rather than a threat, depending on how you look at it. This may be something you think straight away or perhaps you realise after you have allowed yourself to feel all of your emotions. Letting go of your job can help you to see new opportunities and possibilities which can be exciting. Try to focus on the things you can control such as updating your CV, writing a cover letter, looking for work, applying for jobs, brushing up on your interview skills and developing your transferable and specific skills and knowledge. Use this time to grow and develop.

Break down tasks such as updating your CV, writing a cover letter, looking for jobs, practising interview skills, updating your LinkedIn profile etc and set yourself deadlines. A step by step approach can feel more manageable, keep you motivated and help you regain control. Work with your employment adviser to create a personalised action plan tailored to you. Try to make your goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timed) to help you stay motivated. Use this time to make yourself more employable and to improve your job prospects.

Speak to family, friends, your adviser, neighbours, previous colleagues and managers, tutors and classmates and let them know about the type of work you are looking for. Networking with others both online and offline could open up doors for you and help you to move into a new job. LinkedIn is great for networking with professionals, the site also advertises jobs. Speak to your employment adviser and they will help you to create an account and profile and show you how to use the platform effectively to find work that you want.

Blog written by: Vicky Holmes

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