Hired 101 >> Browse Articles >> Workplace Issues
10 Worst Things to Say to Someone Who Just Lost Their Entry-Level Job
Alice Handley and Tania Khadder
 |
You want to be supportive. You want to help them see the positive side of their misfortune. You want to buy them a drink. And you should! But please, tread carefully.
The time directly following a layoff is a delicate one. Your friend will want your help, but they may not be so receptive to your wise suggestions or burning questions. The fact of the matter is, being laid off sucks. Your comments come from a good place (of course!), but you might be surprised at how they are construed by someone whose wounds are still fresh from getting shown the door.
Here are 10 things you shouldn’t say to someone who has just been laid off.
Frank_Ball
over 2 years ago
19756 comments
Please keep your comments on topic to the article -- Any comments posted with embedded links leading to questionable infected sites outside MonsterCollege will be removed and the poster's account will be banned from MonsterCollege. Thank you.
mkgessner
over 3 years ago
220 comments
Great article. I was laid off in July and my boyfriend's first comment was, "How could you be so stupid?" Needless to say, he is no longer my boyfriend. I was crushed and I felt really pressured by all of the suggestions people started making. I was heartbroken and the last thing I wanted to hear was, "Why don't you get a waitressing job until you find something." I have a Masters degree in Management and the thought of waitressing just wasn't appealing. Of course, four months later, five kids, and few job prospects have me rethinking that advice.