Got 'Layoff Anxiety'? Do This Now Before It Is Too Late!
Gena Golden LCSW, NBCFCH
AntiOppression, Holistic Therapist, Hypnotherapist & Inner Coach for Leaders, Healers & Change Agents to transform the InnerCritic {Internal Oppression} & Outwit the OuterCritics {Systemic Oppression} to be unstoppable.
Massive layoffs are underway across the globe, and the impact of it can be felt in almost every household. The recent BBC article on 'The Toll of Layoff Anxiety' inspired me to think of what employees can do besides sitting with bated breath and waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.' No one wants to wait around just to be told to pack up and exit through the doors of a job to which they gave so much.
Why This Is Important
People can not count on staying at a job, let alone retiring from jobs like before. Despite spending the bulk of their time at work, employees now feel that the rug can be pulled from under them, jeopardizing their livelihood and thwarting future career plans. Not being able to predict, with some certainty, an economic future unsettles the nervous system and disrupts the body's normal functioning. Job insecurity affects mental and emotional health, including stress-related medical problems, depression, and anxiety. As tensions rise under the threat of joblessness, marital discord, suicidal ideation, and intimate partner violence, all grow as tension increases. Subsequently, if you are under the looming fear of job cuts, taking care of your emotional healing and well-being is essential.
Before You Go
Tap into those untapped programs and resources your job has for its employees that were set up to help with personal problems that impact work performance, productivity, and morale. Now is the time to take advantage of these resources; they just might be what you need to help manage the emotional load that you have been carrying. Before you go or are told to leave your job, look into what your company may offer you.
Use Your EAP
If you are next in line to be cut, I will encourage you to set up a time to meet with mental health professionals through your employer's EAP program (while your company is paying for it!). Most large and some moderately sized companies offer Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), confidential resources to help workers resolve personal problems that may adversely impact their work performance. EAPs provide various services, including assessment, brief or short-term counseling, referral, legal aid, and sometimes coaching services. With thousands being laid off, this may be what you need to ease 'layoff anxiety.' Most EAPs offer a predetermined amount of sessions. Some therapy sessions are held on location, others are community partners in your local area, and some are virtual. Every EAP program is unique, so you can contact your company's Human Resource Department to learn about the specifics of your company's plan.
Tap Into Your HSA and FSA
Your employer may offer a Health Spending Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account/Arrangements (FSA). FSA is a benefit provided by some employers, allowing you to set aside pre-tax dollars for health-related expenses.?
HSAs are for employees who participate in high-deductible health plans. As a mental health clinician, I accept these plans for services. Most people, I have found, need to be made aware of these generous job benefits for mental health support.
I can personally attest to the benefits of an HSA, using it to pay for doctor visits, co-pays, my daughter's braces, chiropractic services, and IV nutrient therapy.
Complementary and Integrative Care
Healing can come from multiple avenues. More Americans are finding non-conventional methods to help regulate their emotions and cope with the uncertainty of the times. According to a nationwide government survey,?36 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 years and over?use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Fortunately, HSA and FSA are not just for conventional medical practices. In many instances, these benefits can also be used for other healing methods, including the following:
Some complementary and integrative treatment methods may require a letter from your doctor stating the medical necessity for treating a specific medical condition. Please ask your employer or Human Resources professional about Health Spending Accounts or Flexible Savings Arrangements as soon as possible. To learn more about what is covered or not, please look at the IRS-approved medical expenses outline here: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p969.pdf.
Gena Golden, LCSW, NBCCH, is an anti-oppression+holistic psychotherapist and culturally attuned hypnotherapist. She specializes in working with women of color impacted by toxic and traumatic work environments (including spaces of higher learning); strained mother/daughter relationships; religious trauma; social phobias (social anxiety, performance & test anxiety) resulting in internalized forms of oppression, imposter syndrome, and an inner critic. Additionally, she is a coach trained in Positive Psychology and Neuroscience-informed practices.
To learn more, please click the link below.