It’s been exactly 15 years since I got laid off from my investment banking job. Given the influx in layoffs taking place, I want to share three quick insights from personal experience. 

1) If you’ve been laid off, lean into the suck. When I got laid off, I told myself everything would be fine. I told myself I was better off. I pretended like I was good. I was wrong. Acting as if everything was fine just delayed the pain and made it harder to move forward. 

Don’t act like everything is okay. Take time to process what you’re going through. Yes, you’ll come out stronger. But you have to feel your feelings. 

2) If you’re a leader laying someone off, be compassionate. I remember every single thing that happened that day in vivid detail. Everything. After being told I no longer had a job, I got a call from a faceless HR rep. She told me I had to pack my things in a box and leave the building immediately. I was instructed I could talk to no one. I felt like a criminal. It made the entire experience so much worse than it needed to.

Layoffs are hard. There’s no perfect way to do them. But once you’ve decided to let people go, do so compassionately. Treat them like the humans they are.   

3) If you’re a friend of someone who’s been laid off, be there for them. A lot of friends reached out after I lost my job. It felt good to know people cared about me. But after a few weeks, the outreach slowed. It was really lonely. 

If your friend has been laid off, now is the time to be a great friend. Invite them to lunch. Go on a walk with them. Call them. You don’t need to tell them everything will be fine. Just listen to them. 

If you’ve been laid off recently, I hope you find comfort and support. You’re more than your job. This may be a setback, but you’ll bounce back stronger than ever.