How to Avoid a Company Lay-off

Times are bad enough today that we are forced to stretch the family dollar without recent pay-cuts and forced furloughs at work. Now you hear that your company is considering a series of lay-offs. How do you increase the chances that you are not one of those who will get caught up in the lay- offs?

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. First, take notice of how timely you start your job. Do you have a reputation of getting to work on time or do people see you as someone is is generally late or takes too long to start working once you get to the office? If so, start arriving to the office with plenty of time to get at your desk, get your cup of coffee and start working at exactly the time you are paid to start working. Let the others get to the desks after the starting time.

2. Second, set goals to finish all unfinished assignments on your desk within a shorter time than you usually take to do the work. If these goals require you to postpone your vacation, put in overtime or weekends (even without pay if you are not an hourly employee) then put in the necessary time to finish your assignments. A few extra days sacrificed now will be worth staying employed.

3. Third, resist any temptations to speak poorly about the company to your co-employees regarding the potential lay-offs or any negative words about management and how they caused the company's problems. Not only is such conduct nonproductive, word about your negative attitude and negative accusations may reach the very people who you spoke poorly about and it just may be those individuals who decide who stays and who goes.

4. Fourth, keep a positive attitude at work and pay attention to details such as your appearance and attire, how and what you say in emails, how you speak to others on the phone, and make sure you handle difficult moments with pose and professionalism.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't let other people at work know what you are doing to make sure you are not laid-off. They may tell management what you really don't care about the company's success and that will defeat all of the work you have done to stay employed.

[trvlarrngr]

on 7/24/2009 great tips in this unstable job market. thanks. 5 stars