Former newspaper editor here. Obviously I know this routine all too well.
That’s why the layoff scene in The Trailer Park Rules exists. I had another journalist contact me later to say his own layoff scene was very much like that. I hope the revenge speech was, too!
It's so disappointing! Employers seem to believe workers just have to all be willing casualties of this irresponsible industry, and that's so wrong. If you hire someone, you should be responsible with their livelihood!
I'm very sorry and chocked by what happened to you. Being in Europe, it's hard for me to comprehend how this can happen. I have a 3 month notice, so if I want to leave or the company wants to cut me off, I will still have 3 months to put things in order and land on my feet.
It gives me hope to know this! In the U.S., it wouldn't even occur to me to suggest a three-month notice, but I appreciate your example so we know what's possible.
In Australia a permanent worker also has to get notice or be paid in lieu of notice. In some industries they do have a security guard walk terminated workers out so they can’t talk to colleagues. That used to just be for people terminated for a major cause but I’ve heard it happen more generally recently.
I appreciate that financial protection for workers! Being walked out by a security guard, though, yuck. It’s so disrespectful of someone in a moment that’s already horrifying and humiliating.
Oh no! I felt mad for you as I read it. It always sucks and it doesn’t have to suck this much! Thank you for sharing both your experience and your recommendations. I hope they are seen by people who can use them to make a hard process better for everyone involved. Thinking of you as you navigate the next steps.
Genuinely LOLing at this 😆 Communication was a problem at the company from day one, and I had this exact thought every single day. It's just clear in hindsight that the company never had any real concern for employee wellbeing, just the facade of it.
So sorry to hear this. Your experience sounds almost exactly like mine when I was laid off from my media job in July 2024. A mysterious, cryptic meeting invite, a prepared statement, and immediate removal from email, Slack, and other systems. I had time to Slack my boss during the meeting to tell her what was happening; her entire team was laid off, and she had no forewarning! They at least told us we would get severance pay based on tenure and provided next steps and a contact person, so good for them, I guess.
That was my first layoff, and I've been freelancing full-time ever since. I can't see a time I would ever apply for a FT media job again.
I can't believe that about your boss! I've been a manager of an editorial team, and it would be so devastating not to be able to bolster myself to take care of my team through this experience :(
I spent five years self-employed after my first layoff, and it was a tough decision to go back to W-2 work with this company. I stayed cynical and kept things simmering on the side. I'm grateful it's relatively easy to slip into self-employment in the media industry, but I still wish we could count on these companies more.
Dana, thank you for sharing your experience. I've been laid off in the past and it hurts on so many levels. Currently I'm working two part time jobs so I can care for my elderly mother. But part time work does not offer benefits. So if I'm laid off of either job , I'm not even sure I would qualify for unemployment. One job does offer a union but only to full time workers in my position. Also, neither offer me benefits as a part timer so I'm going through the Healthcare Marketplace which is about to increase my premiums enormously. Not sure how I will make this all work. But I really believe, as a nation, we can and should do better by our workers.
We absolutely should do better! This is the kind of thing that can be regulated to prevent companies from skirting obligations to their employees. I'm also frustrated that you're not eligible for the union. I support unions as a stopgap to the level of exploitation we have now, but I'm equally frustrated by the ways they reinforce capitalist hierarchies.
And, FYI, part-time workers ARE usually eligible for unemployment benefits, whether you lose your job completely or have your hours reduced. Specifics are set state-by-state.
I'm sorry to hear that! It's happening to so many of us this year. My heart goes out to you and your household; I hope you've landed or will soon land somewhere comfortable.
Thank you for your kindness and compassion. I’m taking this time to learn. I’ve enrolled for a couple classes, so I will be more competitive in the market. There’s ALOT of people looking. Indeed & Linked In show you how many people applied for job postings.It can be dispiriting. My State (NJ) puts alot into their unemployed constituency they helped me get a grant among many other things for the classes. Thankfully, I can manage on the benefit amount I am getting. I’m just doing what I can and keeping the faith. Have you also been laid off?
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Dana. Thank you for sharing your experience and for offering ways for all of us to do better (both people responsible for laying off employees and employees who might need to organize a union).
I hope this can be helpful for someone! I guess I'm optimistic in believing that maybe leadership just doesn't understand how devastating the experience is, and if they know they might do better?
It really is! And that spreadsheet status is so by design. One of the saddest things about the experience is that editor who had to deliver us the news. I'm sure she was so far removed from the people who made the decision, and she had to carry the weight of breaking it to us.
Yeah, I've been on both ends of that conversation and feeling like just a cog in the system. There's real trauma that happens for those who get laid off and for those who are left behind with heavier workloads and broken systems, knowing their time will come eventually.
As 50+ year journalism veteran I feel like I've seen it all. What still sticks in my craw is an experience similar to yours in 2008 when we editors were called in and the 14 weeklies we were in charge of were unceremoniously axed, mid-deadline.
The good news is that it's a field where I'm lucky to have adapted to changes over the years and I'm still cranking out the shit. However, I'm SO glad I'm at the denouement of my career.
That's so frustrating! "Mid-deadline" is key here, for journalists in particular. It's so sad to have to drop a story you were working on — disrespectful of the reporters' time, confusing for sources, a mess for editors. Just all such a dumb way to handle things.
Great article! I love what you said at the end about the benefits of unions. I myself am a union member as a nurse in California, we don't always think about the benefits regarding protection from abrupt layoffs.
I'm sorry to hear about your layoff, it sounds really stressful.
Happy you've already got a union! Job security wasn't top of mind for me re: union benefits for a long time, until I learned that years ago the Buzzfeed (News?) union had negotiated for pay cuts instead of layoffs at one point.
How shitty. I’m sometimes involved in individual layoffs as an Ops/HR person, so I appreciate the reminder of ways to make the experience more human.
This is also a reminder for me of why I try to view my job as a business relationship. That means I need to ensure I’m getting at least as much as I’m giving, especially around the things that are important to me. I’ve had a stressful week at work and just realized it’s partially because I’m giving too much of my emotional energy. I need to claw some of that back and rebalance because it’s just a job (even though I care about it and the mission a lot). My emotional energy needs to be reserved for myself and my own life as much as possible.
My goal is to make sure that if an employer decides to part ways I can walk away knowing I didn’t give too much of myself away during the relationship, I got as much as I gave.
I'm so happy you're reading this as someone who can make a difference for workers! Thank you for taking it in.
And I completely agree with what you're saying about keeping that distance. This layoff wasn't nearly as devastating to me as I've heard it has been for some of my colleagues, and I think it's because I didn't give them 100% of me the way I have to employers in the past. I do love working and love throwing myself into the mission of a company, but without strong worker protections, the company is just never going to give back in that same way.
I'm so sorry, Dana. That does sound like a terrible experience. I was really struck by you being cut off from your fellow co-workers, which feels somehow the most cruel to me. How many scenes have we seen in movies where coworkers get laid off and they at least get to meet at the bar later and commiserate with their community and support each other. Community is the key to getting us through all things. We are already more disconnected with the advent of all of this remote work. Companies should absolutely make creative changes here - among all the other points you made! Truly, I am so sorry this happened, and so callously.
Former newspaper editor here. Obviously I know this routine all too well.
That’s why the layoff scene in The Trailer Park Rules exists. I had another journalist contact me later to say his own layoff scene was very much like that. I hope the revenge speech was, too!
We are treated like shit.
It's so disappointing! Employers seem to believe workers just have to all be willing casualties of this irresponsible industry, and that's so wrong. If you hire someone, you should be responsible with their livelihood!
I'm very sorry and chocked by what happened to you. Being in Europe, it's hard for me to comprehend how this can happen. I have a 3 month notice, so if I want to leave or the company wants to cut me off, I will still have 3 months to put things in order and land on my feet.
It gives me hope to know this! In the U.S., it wouldn't even occur to me to suggest a three-month notice, but I appreciate your example so we know what's possible.
In Australia a permanent worker also has to get notice or be paid in lieu of notice. In some industries they do have a security guard walk terminated workers out so they can’t talk to colleagues. That used to just be for people terminated for a major cause but I’ve heard it happen more generally recently.
I appreciate that financial protection for workers! Being walked out by a security guard, though, yuck. It’s so disrespectful of someone in a moment that’s already horrifying and humiliating.
Oh no! I felt mad for you as I read it. It always sucks and it doesn’t have to suck this much! Thank you for sharing both your experience and your recommendations. I hope they are seen by people who can use them to make a hard process better for everyone involved. Thinking of you as you navigate the next steps.
Thank you! That's my hope 🤞
I'm very sorry this happened to you. You would think as a media company they would know how to communicate better. I guess not.
Genuinely LOLing at this 😆 Communication was a problem at the company from day one, and I had this exact thought every single day. It's just clear in hindsight that the company never had any real concern for employee wellbeing, just the facade of it.
So sorry to hear this. Your experience sounds almost exactly like mine when I was laid off from my media job in July 2024. A mysterious, cryptic meeting invite, a prepared statement, and immediate removal from email, Slack, and other systems. I had time to Slack my boss during the meeting to tell her what was happening; her entire team was laid off, and she had no forewarning! They at least told us we would get severance pay based on tenure and provided next steps and a contact person, so good for them, I guess.
That was my first layoff, and I've been freelancing full-time ever since. I can't see a time I would ever apply for a FT media job again.
I can't believe that about your boss! I've been a manager of an editorial team, and it would be so devastating not to be able to bolster myself to take care of my team through this experience :(
I spent five years self-employed after my first layoff, and it was a tough decision to go back to W-2 work with this company. I stayed cynical and kept things simmering on the side. I'm grateful it's relatively easy to slip into self-employment in the media industry, but I still wish we could count on these companies more.
Agree 100%!
Dana, thank you for sharing your experience. I've been laid off in the past and it hurts on so many levels. Currently I'm working two part time jobs so I can care for my elderly mother. But part time work does not offer benefits. So if I'm laid off of either job , I'm not even sure I would qualify for unemployment. One job does offer a union but only to full time workers in my position. Also, neither offer me benefits as a part timer so I'm going through the Healthcare Marketplace which is about to increase my premiums enormously. Not sure how I will make this all work. But I really believe, as a nation, we can and should do better by our workers.
We absolutely should do better! This is the kind of thing that can be regulated to prevent companies from skirting obligations to their employees. I'm also frustrated that you're not eligible for the union. I support unions as a stopgap to the level of exploitation we have now, but I'm equally frustrated by the ways they reinforce capitalist hierarchies.
And, FYI, part-time workers ARE usually eligible for unemployment benefits, whether you lose your job completely or have your hours reduced. Specifics are set state-by-state.
This post offers a summary: https://www.experian.com/blogs/employer-services/seasonal-and-part-time-workers-unemployment-benefits-eligibility/
And you can find official details about your state through this page: https://www.usa.gov/unemployment-benefits
I’m so sorry. My position was eliminated back in May. Different circumstances but it’s a lot.
I'm sorry to hear that! It's happening to so many of us this year. My heart goes out to you and your household; I hope you've landed or will soon land somewhere comfortable.
Thank you for your kindness and compassion. I’m taking this time to learn. I’ve enrolled for a couple classes, so I will be more competitive in the market. There’s ALOT of people looking. Indeed & Linked In show you how many people applied for job postings.It can be dispiriting. My State (NJ) puts alot into their unemployed constituency they helped me get a grant among many other things for the classes. Thankfully, I can manage on the benefit amount I am getting. I’m just doing what I can and keeping the faith. Have you also been laid off?
I'm so sorry this happened to you, Dana. Thank you for sharing your experience and for offering ways for all of us to do better (both people responsible for laying off employees and employees who might need to organize a union).
I hope this can be helpful for someone! I guess I'm optimistic in believing that maybe leadership just doesn't understand how devastating the experience is, and if they know they might do better?
FUCK! (That's all for now, I've only read the headline; I'll be back later once I've read the rest!) 😡
💖💖💖
For most companies, we are just lines on a spreadsheet, a position and a salary, easily removed. I am sorry it happened to you, it is demoralizing.
It really is! And that spreadsheet status is so by design. One of the saddest things about the experience is that editor who had to deliver us the news. I'm sure she was so far removed from the people who made the decision, and she had to carry the weight of breaking it to us.
Yeah, I've been on both ends of that conversation and feeling like just a cog in the system. There's real trauma that happens for those who get laid off and for those who are left behind with heavier workloads and broken systems, knowing their time will come eventually.
I’m so sorry, Dana.
Thank you, Sara 💖
As 50+ year journalism veteran I feel like I've seen it all. What still sticks in my craw is an experience similar to yours in 2008 when we editors were called in and the 14 weeklies we were in charge of were unceremoniously axed, mid-deadline.
The good news is that it's a field where I'm lucky to have adapted to changes over the years and I'm still cranking out the shit. However, I'm SO glad I'm at the denouement of my career.
That's so frustrating! "Mid-deadline" is key here, for journalists in particular. It's so sad to have to drop a story you were working on — disrespectful of the reporters' time, confusing for sources, a mess for editors. Just all such a dumb way to handle things.
Great article! I love what you said at the end about the benefits of unions. I myself am a union member as a nurse in California, we don't always think about the benefits regarding protection from abrupt layoffs.
I'm sorry to hear about your layoff, it sounds really stressful.
Happy you've already got a union! Job security wasn't top of mind for me re: union benefits for a long time, until I learned that years ago the Buzzfeed (News?) union had negotiated for pay cuts instead of layoffs at one point.
How shitty. I’m sometimes involved in individual layoffs as an Ops/HR person, so I appreciate the reminder of ways to make the experience more human.
This is also a reminder for me of why I try to view my job as a business relationship. That means I need to ensure I’m getting at least as much as I’m giving, especially around the things that are important to me. I’ve had a stressful week at work and just realized it’s partially because I’m giving too much of my emotional energy. I need to claw some of that back and rebalance because it’s just a job (even though I care about it and the mission a lot). My emotional energy needs to be reserved for myself and my own life as much as possible.
My goal is to make sure that if an employer decides to part ways I can walk away knowing I didn’t give too much of myself away during the relationship, I got as much as I gave.
I'm so happy you're reading this as someone who can make a difference for workers! Thank you for taking it in.
And I completely agree with what you're saying about keeping that distance. This layoff wasn't nearly as devastating to me as I've heard it has been for some of my colleagues, and I think it's because I didn't give them 100% of me the way I have to employers in the past. I do love working and love throwing myself into the mission of a company, but without strong worker protections, the company is just never going to give back in that same way.
I'm so sorry, Dana. That does sound like a terrible experience. I was really struck by you being cut off from your fellow co-workers, which feels somehow the most cruel to me. How many scenes have we seen in movies where coworkers get laid off and they at least get to meet at the bar later and commiserate with their community and support each other. Community is the key to getting us through all things. We are already more disconnected with the advent of all of this remote work. Companies should absolutely make creative changes here - among all the other points you made! Truly, I am so sorry this happened, and so callously.
It’s absolutely the lack of unions. Hollows out labour rights and degrades the entire workforce. Too much capitalism, not enough democracy.