How to prepare for Layoffs
Layoffs are an unfortunate reality in movement work: funders shift focus, grants fall through, leaders mismanage funds and staff, and political and economic realities change. In the last year, multiple major movement organizations, clinics, and state reproductive rights organizations have laid off significant workers. At a time when the movement needs more capacity, we are losing experienced hands, patients are losing advocates and support, and our organizing capacity is diminished.
This harms the movement’s longevity, institutional knowledge, and innovation. However, the individual impact of layoffs on workers can be devastating. Many workers in our movement live paycheck to paycheck due to increased living costs and stagnant wages. Layoffs make this even worse–and many organizations provide little to no severance or support post-layoff. Clinic staff have been particularly hit hard as clinics grapple with the shifting sands of abortion access, legality, and court battles. It’s not uncommon for people who have reached out to us for assistance from the ReproJobs Worker Aid Fund to have been through more than one layoff in the last three years.
The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) is a federal law that requires larger organizations to give at least sixty days' notice of when layoffs will be coming (following specific criteria). State laws can also require additional advance notification for even broader categories of organizations. However, even with these laws, you won't always know when a layoff might happen if you work at a smaller organization or one not covered by federal or state laws governing layoffs.
The best way to be prepared is to be consistent, when possible, with saving, networking, and staying up to date on support and resources. Here are a few tips:
Rainy Day Fund: A general rule of thumb with savings is to work to have enough saved up for three to six months of expenses. This could mean starting with saving small amounts every week where you can. $50 a week can even add up over a year. Look over your expenses and see where to trim costs and pad your savings even more.
Networking: Building your list of contacts is always a good practice. However, it is vital to network when layoffs might be in the offing. Networking aggressively allows you to get your name, résumé and skills out in the broader movement, which can open doors to new positions after a layoff (or before if you are looking for a new job for your professional growth, pay raise, or any reason). Make sure your LinkedIn is up to date and use that to reach out to people you've worked with in the past or set up a time to connect with people who are in a similar field as you.
Watch this seminar from our great career coach, Kio, for some tips on networking best practices
Update your résumé: Similarly, it's essential to keep your résumé up to date. Refreshing a résumé can take time. Reviewing your résumé quarterly, seeking the help of a résumé coach (sign up for some time with Kio, who works with people directly on updating their résumé!) or other trusted second set of eyes, and having different resumes for potentially different areas of work you want to focus on will all help you jump into the job search quickly should you be facing a layoff.
Save Your Work: Make copies or download PDFs of your work product. If you created a brochure for patients at your clinic, save that. If you crafted a PR plan for a big launch for your org, download it. Any substantive work you might want for a writing or work sample during an interview process, to have on hand for general reference, or to review and build on in future work, keep a copy for yourself. Also, keep copies of your performance reviews. Same with critical emails and your work contact list. You can easily download your email contacts from Google, Outlook, or other platforms to an Excel sheet.
When you are laid off, you lose access to your email, work Google Docs, and other internal systems. This can happen quickly and without warning, so it’s best to regularly save important work to your personal folders and computer.
Various programs will automatically back up your email and documents. But be careful: many organizations have rules around document retention, so move cautiously.
Vacation and other benefits: Thoroughly review your benefits package and ensure you will be paid for accrued benefits such as paid time off (PTO), sick days, and flex days. Policies differ depending on the organization, but many organizations pay PTO to workers upon termination of employment. Sick days and other time off buckets are also variable. If layoffs might be coming, it is wise to save up vacation days to maximize payouts.
Another benefit worth investigating should a layoff occur is your Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account (FSA/HSA) accounts. FSAs usually expire when your employment is terminated, so use whatever funds might be available to pay for medical supplies, pay ahead on certain medical costs like therapy, or stock up on over-the-counter medications. HSA funds can still be used if you are laid off, but double-check the conditions of your benefit.
While you still have healthcare coverage, get your checkups in and work with your doctor to refill prescriptions (many insurances will do 90-day refills now) to help tide you over should your severance not include healthcare coverage. COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act), which allows you to temporarily continue your group health benefits from your employer under certain circumstances, is offered when an employee is laid off, but for many it is too cost-prohibitive to pay the full premium on your own. If that is the case for you, look into if you qualify for your state’s Medicaid program. Changes in employment status also qualify you for special enrollment through the Affordable Care Act Health Exchanges where you can find a variety of health plans to meet your needs and budget.
Explore other fringe benefits you may have, like pre-tax commuter benefits or stipends, and utilize those as well.
Unemployment: If you are laid off, you are eligible for unemployment insurance benefits, subject to your state's conditions and limits. Look up your state’s unemployment insurance information and how to apply.
Negotiate Severance: If severance is offered, sometimes you can negotiate aspects such as taxes, healthcare coverage, and duration. For example, many organizations set severance by how long you’ve been at an organization or a set amount for all laid-off employees. A point of negotiation with that policy could be around bumping you up to the next tier of support if you are close to meeting its requirements already. Additionally, some severances come with a non-disclosure or non-disparagement agreement. It is possible, but difficult, to request compensation in exchange for you to sign these agreements.
Be in contact with your union (if applicable): If a union represents you, continue to be in close contact with your union leadership. Unions can be critical in securing severance and other benefits for laid-off workers.
Apply to the ReproJobs Worker Aid Fund: Our worker aid fund will continue to give out support until the end of July. We offer support up to $1,000 for repro workers who have been laid off or had their hours significantly cut. Apply or learn more on our website!
Break glass option: Cashing out 401k or investments: The job market is challenging. It can take months to land a new position, and severance and savings can be used quickly. While you should save your long-term investments for the future (and save yourself the penalties), if push comes to shove, knowing the process for cashing out investments such as a 401k is valuable. But recognize you will lose money with an early withdrawal (between taxes and penalties). This should be a last resort option if you don’t have much savings going into a layoff or have been out of work for a while and need the additional cash.