As employees face job automation and layoffs, they need to focus on one thing — building a diverse skill set and staying mentally healthy,' advises Kevin Landis, a representative of The Retirement Group at Wealth Enhancement Group. “These measures will not only help to keep the job in the present situation, but will also improve the employee’s chances of finding work in the changing job market in the future.'

2. Emotional and Psychological Impacts: A discussion of the various psychological effects of job loss, according to experts.

3. Effective Coping Strategies: Some tips on how to deal with stress that comes with layoffs and how to stay strong during career changes.

According to Forbes, 'According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers cut 90,309 jobs in March, the most in any month since 102,943 jobs were lost in January of last year.'  It is important for employees to know that the employers are still firing a large number of workers.

It is predicted that 20 million manufacturing jobs will be lost to automation by 2030, and 37% of Americans are concerned about being replaced by artificial intelligence.  In addition, automation may put 73 million jobs in the United States at risk by 2030, which would be almost half of the current workforce. Given this fact, the employees who are worried about their job security are not alone.  About 48 percent of Americans have job loss anxiety.

In a Forbes article, Dr. Gregg Jantz, the founder of the counseling and treatment center: A Place of Hope, and the author of several best-selling books, including The Anxiety Reset Continued explained that after death, job loss is one of the most stressful events in people’s lives.  'People feel a betrayal of trust, particularly when the job loss is unexpected. It's so distressing.'

As more headlines about tech industry layoffs are making the news, it can be difficult for employees to control their emotions. Dr.  Jantz said the typical response to betrayal is rage. The feeling that the employer did not respect or value you is a sense of injustice. It makes people very angry when they feel that their employer does not appreciate their efforts.  You want to get your revenge, retaliation, and revenge against those you think have wronged you.

In addition, Dr. Jantz points out that “Our country is in the midst of a mental health crisis.” The most common diagnosis in the United States is anxiety, followed by depression.  When a person loses their job, these emotions increase. It is important to note that 40% of Americans have been laid off or fired at one point or another during these times. Although this may not solve your problem, you may find comfort in knowing that others have been in the same boat that you are in.  These feelings should be recognized and not acted on to your own detriment.

What Not To Do When Being Laid Off

Don't Leave Without Saving Critical Documents It is recommended to save personal or professional documents from your work computer on a regular basis.  Some employers will escort terminated employees off the premises or immediately restrict their access. It is crucial not to be left with no important information.

Don't Discuss Termination Before Taking Time to Process When you are laid off, you may feel angry and stressed.  You may have these emotions when interacting with management, which may be counterproductive to your goals. Let’s meet in two days and have this discussion. In the meantime, check on the company’s policies and practices so that if you can, you are ready to try to negotiate a reasonable severance package.  However, if you are unable to delay a decision on a severance package should it be offered, you should consider the terms and whether it is worth negotiating to obtain a more comprehensive package.

Don’t Refuse to Help With the Transition In order to ensure a smooth transition, you will be considered as a good employee and may get some references and recommendations from your superiors.  No matter what situation you are in, it will always be better for you to be nice. At the very least, you will have made an honest effort to assist your employer which may result in a positive reference.

Don't Ignore the Opportunity to Resign Sometimes, resignation might be a way out of termination.  There are advantages and disadvantages of quitting a job on your own will rather than being terminated. You may lose your unemployment benefits if you resign but sometimes you stand to gain. In any job interview, you will not be required to explain why you were fired, which can be embarrassing.

Don't Be Afraid to Request a Reference If you have good coworkers, you can ask them for a recommendation when you are still in touch with them. You can use their recommendation when you are looking for your next job.

Do Not Miss the Opportunity to Ask Why If your employer has not followed company policy on due process, you may be able to apply to human resources for more time to improve your performance. You may also be protected by an employment contract, a union contract, or an anti-discrimination statute.

Navigating a layoff successfully means understanding every benefit GEN provides - especially those that follow you into retirement. Without a traditional pension, your 401(k) - alongside Social Security - forms the foundation of your retirement income at GEN. GEN may offer a 401(k) employer match - review your Summary Plan Description for current match rate and vesting details. Your overall withdrawal strategy, account sequence, and Roth conversion opportunities leading up to and into retirement deserve careful, personalized analysis given the income-sequencing implications.

Shifting to healthcare, GEN does not offer continued medical coverage to retirees, which means coverage through the company ends when employment does. Planning for the cost of health insurance during any gap between your retirement date and Medicare eligibility at age 65 is a critical step - marketplace coverage, COBRA continuation, or a spouse's employer plan are common options. Building an accurate estimate of bridge-coverage costs into your retirement income projection prevents underestimating one of the largest variable expenses retirees face. Bringing every piece of your GEN benefits together inside a single retirement income framework is the surest way to see the full picture.

It is important not to vent on social media about your former employer when you are fired. For employees, even if they are mistaken, you have much more to lose. By giving yourself 24 hours, you are given time to reduce the intensity of your feelings.  You will become a victim if you allow yourself to be overwhelmed by anger and send nasty emails that will prevent you from getting a job in the future. In addition, if you express anger and feelings of betrayal, you may appear to be at fault, which is extremely counterproductive in an interview setting.

Employees may also help narrow down their words and only use them to close friends and relatives. 'Be mindful of what you do to the people around you, such as venting continuously, being irritable, and projecting your anger onto others.  You are telling it to your loved ones, even though they had nothing to do with this event. This is not how you should express your emotions.' Dr. Jantz gave advice.

Adaptation Strategies for Employees

It is crucial for employees with overwhelming emotions to practice good self-care and be resilient.  When confronted with anger, contributing positively to your nutrition, sleep, and physical routine may prove beneficial. Walking, working out, and exercising are all methods of anger management. In addition, writing down your emotions, not engaging in self-destructive behaviors, and the knowledge that you cannot punish yourself for what has happened are also ways of dealing with these intense negative emotions.  One must also reconsider and reevaluate and determine what needs to be done in order to strengthen and improve health. Those who formerly worked for your previous company are more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms if they isolate, stay indoors, and constantly withdraw.

While it is important for employees to consider their work as part of their identity, it is dangerous to make it your only identity. In a study conducted by the Journal of Frontiers in Psychology, individuals who reduced themselves to their jobs felt dehumanized, like a machine or a tool, and had higher levels of disengagement, depression, and burnout.  Therefore, employees may also find it helpful to understand the concept of self-complexity. Self-complexity refers to the number of characteristics that define the important aspects of who you are. The more diverse your personality is, the more resistant you are.  Hence, it is important to build a diverse self-identity, as you would a diverse portfolio of investments. You can develop self-complexity and build your identity across various areas of your life. Therefore, when things are not going well at work, you will not feel like you have nothing left.  You may decide to spend time on your interests, religion, or health. It is possible that employees may reduce feelings of depression and anxiety towards work after being laid off if they are persistent and always strive for success.  It is important to ask oneself, 'Am I angry and bitter? Is fear and anxiety all around me?' Use positive encouragement to tell the person that there is nothing wrong with them and that they are going through a tough time in their life.

Sources:

1. Zippia Team. '35+ Shocking Statistics About Automation and Job Loss in : Are Robots, Machines, and AI Coming for Your Job?' Zippia, .  https://www.zippia.com/advice/automation-and-job-loss-statistics/ .

2. Zippia Team. '23+ Artificial Intelligence and Job Loss Statistics []: How Job Automation Impacts the Workforce.'  Zippia, .  https://www.zippia.com/advice/artificial-intelligence-and-job-loss-statistics/ .

3. Zippia Team. 'Get the Job You Really Want.' Zippia, .  https://www.zippia.com/answers/how-many-jobs-are-going-to-be-lost-to-automation/ .

4. Zippia Team. 'Get the Job You Really Want.' Zippia, .  https://www.zippia.com/answers/will-ai-cause-job-losses/ .

5. Zippia Team. 'Get the Job You Really Want.' Zippia, .  https://www.zippia.com/answers/which-jobs-are-most-at-risk-of-being-automated-by-artificial-intelligence/ .

6. 'Automation and Job Loss Statistics.' Zippia, .  https://www.zippia.com/advice/automation-and-job-loss-statistics/ .

7. 'How to Deal with Layoff Anxiety.' Harvard Business Review, September .  https://hbr.org//09/how-to-deal-with-layoff-anxiety .

8. 'Top Things Not to Say or Do If You're Fired.' The Balance Money. https://www.thebalancemoney.com/top-things-not-to-say-or-do-if-you-re-fired-2063942.