The meaning of the term RIF

Reading time: 7 - 9 minutes

If you google the term "RIF", you will find quite a few different and interesting meanings in a dictionary; among those are also:

1. RIF (in British English) can be understood as reconnaissance in force, a type of military operation used specifically to probe an enemy's disposition.
2. RIF (in American English) is a reduction in the number of persons employed by a business, government department, etc., esp. for budgetary reasons.

Unfortunately, a lot of us experienced the second meaning last week. When you work in the Software industry for a start-up, an American entity or similar, reduction in force, redundancy or simply "RIF" happens quite often. I've been working for USA entities for almost ten years, and when the CEO's office decides it's time for a change, there is very little you can do. I have experienced 12 RIFs in my life, and 2 RIFs hit me.

The first time I experienced "RIF", I got an email with immediate termination. My employee rights were not observed, the payment obligation was not honoured, and all connections were cut. The only way out was to ask for mediation and advice at?ACAS (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service). I was very scared and also ashamed to speak with anyone about my situation.

The lady at ACAS was very understanding, she explained the procedure and suggested early conciliation. This free service helped me and my employer to resolve the issue amicably. A very competent mediator sorted out everything, I didn't need to speak to anyone, and I received a letter with a fair financial resolution. Often foreign employers need help understanding the employment law in the UK, so they also need advice. If ACAS mediation doesn't work, then they will take your claim to the tribunal. This can be time-consuming and difficult for everyone involved. It's better to avoid it. In short, it could be compared to Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's divorce drama. You don't need it as you are hurt already by losing your job. Please check your local legislation. If you are based in the EU, there will be something similar. Unfortunately, I have limited knowledge about other countries.?

Luckily I have an incredible support team at home who is always on my side. The cultural differences between the USA and European employment law are very different. We should be very grateful to our predecessors who made sure we have functional legislation protecting our working rights, and the employer is simply not allowed to send you a "Dear John" letter and wish you well. Always know your rights and obligations. Please take the time and read the small print before you accept and sign any contract. Ask for help if you don't understand it or if you have any doubts.

The first time, it took me the whole summer to digest the fact that I was made redundant. I blamed myself. If you are not careful, you can end up in a vicious circle, doubting everything about yourself and losing perspective. You might give up on yourself for something you didn't cause.

You have to understand that RIFs often happen due to investors' demands, economic climate, and also due to poor business administration. So you'll never get told anything else than we are very sorry and goodbye.

For younger generations, a situation like this can often be very traumatic, mainly because, in the early 20s, a lot of American-based companies treated employees extremely well. You were offered a great paycheck, all sorts of bonuses and goodies, private healthcare, teams were lovely, and life seemed to be great. When "RIF" gets you, all this generosity disappears in a blink of an eye.

You meet the HR person and a senior manager colleague, they deliver the sad news and then you are gone. You stop existing. You don't get a chance to say goodbye, and if you haven't connected on LinkedIn with your colleagues, you feel like a cat kicked out in the middle of a cold stormy night.

When you get older and gain experience, you learn when to jump the sinking boat, but sometimes RIF catches you by surprise. This happened last Tuesday.

A colleague sent me a message in the early morning: "Are you ok?"

Me: "What happened? An accident? Did someone die?"

Her answer:?"Check your inbox."

I opened the inbox, and there it was: "...To put it bluntly, 2022 was a challenging year for..."I stopped reading. I continued: ".. will impact 65 of our colleagues." Oh no!

I opened slack and kept staring at the screen and checking who was already "deactivated" John (deactivated) and Marie (deactivated); it went really fast from there. This was a real-life immersive Squid Game experience on an emotional level. I wondered when it would say Romy "deactivated"? Frantically I typed a message to some of my colleagues: "If I'm gone today, here is my email. Pls., keep in touch."

A senior manager sent me a message asking if I was free. My gut feeling was saying that I wasn't free and wouldn't be free for some time. Instead, I asked: "Am I fired?"

He didn't reply.

I rolled my eyes, clicked on the Zoom link, and the HR person and my colleague were there.

"How are you feeling today? "

"How can one actually feel? Please, just start with the procedure and get it done."

I should have paid more attention to what they were saying. I asked for my documents and contracts and wish to get it done at light speed. My mum taught me to quickly deal with unpleasant situations, take a deep breath, and move on.

"Why isn't my manager here?" I asked.

"He left yesterday."

"Without saying goodbye?"

Silence.

Deep inside, I knew that the change was coming, and I was angry.

Anger is the second of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

I sat at the table for a while and watched at my laptop screen how all my work was erased, and suddenly everything was dark and empty.

Romy (deactivated). Black screen. Gone. Maybe this is how it feels if you are Neo Anderson - The One in the Matrix.

The company followed all procedures correctly until the end, and I am grateful for that. The documents were issued according to our local legislation, all my rights were observed, and I was allowed to keep my laptop. Honestly, there was only one word to say: Thank you for everything.

I had a chance to exchange emails with a few HR colleagues. They were doing a great job sorting out all the outstanding matters, helping and being very kind. I guess the situation wasn't easy for them either.

The after reaction: McDonald's junk food - fish fille, chocolate ice cream sundaes overdose, a lot of bubble tea, cinema with the giant sweet popcorn box and sugar-free sprite - you have to moderate the calories. I went to the cinema to take my mind off the unfortunate event. I decided to watch "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody" in a comfortable Odeon recliner and silent singalong in my head: "Bitter sweeeeeeeet memorieeeeees, that is all I'm taking with meeeeee. So good-bye. Please don't cry. We both know I'm not what you neeeeeeeed." I wondered if this song was dedicated exclusively to my companions and me on this day.

I also decided to contact a doctor asking for some advice on how to feel better faster, as mental health seems to be a very popular topic these days. We spoke for 8 minutes, and he came up with the idea that I must be lightly depressed and that I should reconsider some sort of cognitive therapy. I didn't like his suggestions, so we ended our chat very quickly.

Depression is the fourth of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

He sent me an email, and I want to share it with you because maybe there is someone out there who needs to read it:

Many thanks for discussing your mental health with me today, which can sometimes be daunting. I think you have moderate anxiety and depression and would benefit from some interventions.?

• Talking therapy: As discussed, I have completed a referral letter for you.?
• Antidepressants: They can be very helpful when combined with talking therapies. However, we would not initiate them with DCA because you need regular contact and monitoring when first starting. Please make an appointment with your usual GP to discuss this further. (Autor: my advice, please don't go there!)
• Exercise can improve symptoms of low mood and anxiety and help with sleep.??
• Avoid alcohol and drugs as these can make your symptoms worse.??
• Reduce stressors: mindfulness or meditation can often be helpful to help with these symptoms. There are many apps available to help start this. Such as https://www.calm.com and https://themindfulnessapp.com?
• Sleep hygiene: Regular sleeping hours, eliminating alcohol after 6 pm, avoiding caffeine after 3 pm, getting out of bed if unable to sleep.
• If you do have any thoughts about self-harm or suicide, please see a doctor urgently (e.g. your own GP or Accident and Emergency). Samaritans can be a good support in a crisis – call: 116 123 - Samaritans.

From his list of suggestions, I decided to get a good night's sleep, say a prayer and do some gratitude exercises. My mum was a nurse. A woman who didn't have it very easy in her life. She taught us to face the issues immediately regardless of how bad we feel, to find a solution, and move on as fast as possible. There was no time for feeling down or anything else. She didn't have any options but to be the strong pillar that we needed.

Acceptance is the last one of the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. And here I am.

I never thought that this topic would be my first long post on LinkedIn. I decided to publish it for people around me, all those whom I see suffer unnecessarily. I was one of the oldest in the team, treated very nicely by everyone. Together we created amazing campaigns, and the results in our team were spectacular. For good results, you need to work hard as a team, willingness to cooperate and have some talent. We had it all, yet it wasn't enough. It never is.

My advice to anyone reading my text and being afraid that this might happen is:

• It will probably happen one day, so there is no need to be afraid. Be prepared: check a few jobs here and there, go for an interview to stay in practice, have your CV updated (I like to get help from the CV people), and ensure you are always working on expanding your network and learning.
• It is highly unpleasant and painful when it happens, but remember, it is probably not your fault if you were a regular employee without any executive power. Please connect with your colleagues well in advance on LinkedIn, and exchange phone numbers because they are the ones that will understand you, and if it happens to them as well, you will create an incredible bond. I call this a touch of humanity.
• Publish the "unpleasant" news on Linkedin - don't be shy; you'll probably need a job sooner or later, especially if you don't have a lot of savings. People who experienced similar situations will very often step forward and offer some help. Take it.
• If your CEO genuinely has a heart in the right place, he/she will issue a very good reference and try to make things right. You don't know what kind of fight he/she is fighting or what's going on in his/her life. At the end of the day, he/she is also just a person.
• Check all the documents and contracts. Know your employment rights and obligations.
• Understand the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Don't spend too much time being sad; life is too short and too beautiful!
• Treat yourself, have a bath, eat junk food, sing Whitney Houston songs badly, run, cry, shout, and laugh, but also get yourself together and move on.?
• Trust your gut feeling; it's always right.

In short, everything happens for a reason, and a bad situation is often just a blessing in disguise. I booked a mini trip; travelling is my mental health solution. My flight to Spain is soon to take off, Whitney Houston stopped singing, and I can't wait to order some tapas.

Everything will be just fine, take care!

Un beso muy grande.?

?Hasta la vista!?

Romy

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This is my personal experience; I changed the names in the text. I'm sure many of you might have a piece of much better advice, so please feel free to comment and share your experience below. My professional motto is: Embrace technology but keep humanity. Humanity is what we need when RIF hits you.

The film mentioned in the text: Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody,?is a 2022 American biographical musical drama film based on the life and career of American singer and actress Whitney Houston. Naomi Ackie is brilliant as the lead actress.