Just been laid off? How to get over the shock, anger, shame, or grief you may be feeling, and the next steps
- Getting over the shock of losing your job takes time, and perhaps professional help. It could be a chance to retrain, switch careers and do something you love
- If you think your job is in jeopardy, have a checklist ready of things to ask. And take advantage of any outplacement services your employer offers
When Mark was called into his boss’ office two weeks ago, he had a suspicion that his job was on the line. The small Hong Kong design firm had lost a number of big contracts, and as the most recent hire, he knew he was likely to be the first to be laid off. The news still came as a shock.
“I felt like I’d been punched in the stomach. I knew it was on the cards, but it didn’t hit me until I was sitting in his office,” says the 40-something expat, who does not want to reveal his last name.
Hong Kong’s unemployment rate hit a 15-year high of 5.9 per cent in the March to May period this year, following a year of anti-government protests, the protracted US-China trade war and more lately the Covid-19 pandemic.
The city’s Employment Support Scheme (ESS), through which the government is paying up to 50 per cent of workers’ salaries for half a year, capped at HK$9,000 (US$1,160) a month provided staff are retained, has shown signs of having a positive effect, but it has still not stemmed the flow of job losses.
Mark had been with his firm less than a year, so he does not qualify for statutory payment allowance given to staff with two years or more service.
Kathryn Weaver, a partner at law firm Lewis Silkin, International Employment Law, sees cause for optimism in the strong uptake of the ESS, and hopes it will mean a slowdown in redundancies as firms on the scheme are committed not to lay off staff from June to August. But if anyone fears their job is at risk, she advises they get prepared and have a checklist to hand of things to discuss in the redundancy meeting.
