Why Laid-Off Workers Are Posting Long Goodbye Messages

As staff cuts continue throughout 2023, laid-off employees are taking to social platforms – including LinkedIn – to share long goodbyes to their colleagues and offer gratitude toward their now-former employers. Are these messages genuine or obligatory?

The epic farewell posts of laid-off employees

In late 2022, Singh’s job was axed during a wave of large-scale Big Tech layoffs.

“I hated how my employer handled it,” says the New York-based software developer. Singh’s frustrations were compounded by the fact that he believed his job was relatively safe, especially since he’d never been informed of any performance problem.

As thousands of colleagues began posting about their layoffs on LinkedIn, Singh followed suit. But despite his consternation at losing his job, the tone of his short message was upbeat and magnanimous. He sounded anything but bitter – exactly what he’d intended. “I know what you post lasts forever,” he says. “There’s no upside in writing anything negative about anyone.”

It's early in 2023, but?new layoffs are already hitting. And with the lingering predictions of an economic downturn and recession continuing to threaten businesses,?there may be more to come. This may also mean more goodbye posts in which workers wax poetic about employers that have just cut their jobs. While these messages may contain genuine sentiments, of course, they can also be performative and strategic: serving an important function in displaying a worker’s employability and adaptability.

Read more from Alex Christian on the layoff posts popping up on your feed.

What's the problem with inventing flashy new job titles?

?Chief executive officer. Marketing director. Lead writer. Sales associate.

Job titles like these have generally been standard across work for years. They’re succinct and clear, communicating essential employee details such as job function and seniority. They make sense to employees and recruiters alike, leaving little room for ambiguity.

However, job titles are yet another feature evolving in the changing world of work. Labels like ‘chief visionary officer’, ‘chief innovation evangelist’, ‘business development guru’ or ‘chief remote officer’ are emerging, making the traditional system seem too rigid, and perhaps even stale.

On the surface, there may seem little harm in altering what an employee is called, or creating new titles entirely. After all, as work becomes more flexible, job functions and the way we describe them are changing, too. In many ways, these new titles reflect the evolving times; they’re empowering some employees to discover new talents, or feel a heightened sense of belonging.

Yet there’s a reason why traditional job titles have endured for so long – and why loosening the rules around them to create arbitrary titles may not always be the best approach.?

Read more from Alex Christian on the rise of a new type of job title.

More around the BBC:?

• Disney’s boss is telling workers to return to the office four days a week.
• Will the metaverse be your new workplace ?

We hope your 2023 is off to a great start. Find more on BBC Worklife ?and?BBC Business until we return next week.

– Meredith Turits , Editor, BBC Worklife