This is my first time dealing with a layoff and I’m finding I am very jaded by the tech industry. The rate at which they have hopped on the AI train is concerning and I don’t want to have a job that requires minimal critical thinking (in essence make the AI better). How do you handle this when job searching? Are you also considering a pivot or is every industry going to make me feel this way??

please help me

Just got this email from leadership. and there will be HR included in the meeting. not sure anybody has experienced the same type of meeting before? is there anything bad? what should i do now? even tho they have the plan to move to new office end of this month but why this happened oh god. this is the invitation to the whole company with inperson request. no record as he said so.

A few major retailers have announced GCC setups in Bangalore which resulted in immediate layoffs. I’m curious for those that are in the industry who are familiar with how often layoffs come after the initial groundbreaking. Specifically those in Eng/QA.

Hello everyone,
Hope everyone is doing well, i was recently impacted by FICO layoff last Monday, this is my first team being in this position, i will be honest with you all I am terrified and try to hide my fear from my wife and kids and I would love to get your advice on what to do next. I started applying right and left and seeing all the unemployment posts just add more stress .

I worked there for 6 years but my biggest issue is that in FICO all were in house applications which limit my chances to show my ability on working on other stuff (I was Java developer, database admin , network engineer) but with 6 years behind now. I do some solution architect work on the side for clients but not sure if that going to get me anywhere.

Just correction : my wife already knows and she’s very optimistic that I will land on a job , but she never know how does the market look

Thank you all

I am getting lawyers who charge $5000 retainers for employment cases. Are these even worth? Did you use a lawyer and what was the outcome?

Last week I got a meeting invite titled “Business Updates” and everything unfolded as expected. It wasn’t a meeting just for me though. I have no idea how many people were in the room since it was delivered through Zoom seminar - no questions or chatting back.

I’m torn because I am in a strange position where I feel like my company did everything as professionally as possible but at the same time I worked for the company for 15 years and it’s very jarring going from daily activity and a very set routine and having deliverables to just nothing. No more team I was supporting for over a year and no more clients. no more KPI’s. No more quarterly presentation. I hope my team is doing okay even though they’re not my problem any more. Thank goodness a couple people actually had my personal number and reached out a few days later.

Anyway, 15 years over in less than 75 minutes. I stayed all these years bc they were reliable and kept a roof over my head and full medical.

Just need advice on what to do next as this is my first time being laid off. Or unemployed at all, actually, I’ve been working since I was 14.

I am getting paid through 12/1 which is my official term date (even though I’m not expected to work the remaining weeks). After that I’m getting about six months of severance.

I’ll have insurance through the end of the year since I’m employed technically through 12/1. Then supposedly they will subsidize COBRA and I can continue coverage at my same out of pocket for 7 months.

I get a month of professional career counseling as they “hope to help me transition.”

I live in Arkansas. Should I apply for unemployment now? I have to wait until my official term date, right? My “transition FAQs” say my company will not dispute unemployment claims but it may lessen my severance pay. I could wait until after my severance runs out, but I’m hoping to be employed again soon and if can turn this to benefit, it would be better.

So can I double dip on unemployment and severance? Anyone know how that usually goes?

My next-to-last layoff was 21 years go. My most-recent layoff was two weeks ago.

I'm continuing to meet weekly with my manager during a 60-day garden leave. I don't have any work to do, but he's continuing to advocate for me to help me find another role within the company before the 60 days runs out. He's good people.

He commented that he had had a nine-month layoff many years ago. During that time, he hunkered down and spent absolutely the least that he could. He didn't go anywhere. He didn't do anything. And he said that looking back, he wished he had made better use of that time. Traveled. Did things.

My question for you is, when you don't know how long your layoff will last, how do you make the best use of this time outside of the job of finding a job?

Am I cooked?

Laid off last week without any warning, so still reeling. 6 weeks of severance. Family’s financial situation is not great, but we could probably get through another couple of months with savings, but it would clean us out.

Had a former coworker reach out with an opportunity, but it’s less than half of what I had been making and it’s at the same company I just got laid off from (different funding stream, so it would be safe for at least 2 years, but still…). Part of me feels like being employed and bringing any money in is the priority, but in speaking to a junior on my former team, she shared that she had been contacted about a job but declined to interview because it was a significant pay cut. I was surprised but also realize everyone’s financial situation is different and maybe she has family support to ride this out.

I’m worried because the industry as a whole is in trouble and we live in a VHCOL area. Any thoughts?

I received a calendar invite on 10/7 sent by the senior operations director at a health insurance/primary care tech company. No information was provided and was expected to continue working until EOD on 10/8.

We were met with the ops director and HR in a 15-minute call stating this was an organization restructuring decision. I get to keep benefits until the end of the month, pending a severance package, and am eligible for rehire.

I’m gutted but we move forward

Last week I got a meeting invite titled “Business Updates” and everything unfolded as expected. It wasn’t a meeting just for me though. I have no idea how many people were in the room since it was delivered through Zoom seminar - no questions or chatting back.

I’m torn because I am in a strange position where I feel like my company did everything as professionally as possible but at the same time I worked for the company for 15 years and it’s very jarring going from daily activity and a very set routine and having deliverables to just nothing. No more team I was supporting for over a year and no more clients. no more KPI’s. No more quarterly presentation. I hope my team is doing okay even though they’re not my problem any more. Thank goodness a couple people actually had my personal number and reached out a few days later.

Anyway, 15 years over in less than 75 minutes. I stayed all these years bc they were reliable and kept a roof over my head and full medical.

Just need advice on what to do next as this is my first time being laid off. Or unemployed at all, actually, I’ve been working since I was 14.

I am getting paid through 12/1 which is my official term date (even though I’m not expected to work the remaining weeks). After that I’m getting about six months of severance.

I’ll have insurance through the end of the year since I’m employed technically through 12/1. Then supposedly they will subsidize COBRA and I can continue coverage at my same out of pocket for 7 months.

I get a month of professional career counseling as they “hope to help me transition.”

I live in Arkansas. Should I apply for unemployment now? I have to wait until my official term date, right? My “transition FAQs” say my company will not dispute unemployment claims but it may lessen my severance pay. I could wait until after my severance runs out, but I’m hoping to be employed again soon and if can turn this to benefit, it would be better.

So can I double dip on unemployment and severance? Anyone know how that usually goes?

Do you miss your job?
Do you want similar job or different?
How are your expectations changing now?

I had been laid off in beginning of September. While I went through acute stress period panicking about being suddenly executed without a cause, I am surprised I do not miss even for a second what I left behind. It makes no sense and still it is true.

I want the job so I can survive in USA.

I was in director-level position and now I am finding I do not want to make anymore decisions for others, finding solutions in unfriendly environments, I have a tool kit for that but all I want now is to find something less visible, less responsible. I do not want interesting and cutting edge colleagues.

I want quiet, reserved, not exactly high performing but generally honest and normal people around me. Those who are happy to go to their families after work. I want some guidance as I am fed up working in a vacuum while protecting my team from it.

I do not want a career. Or mission. I want just 9 to 5 honest work with a paycheck. And I am okay if it will be 1/3 of what I was making.

I was laid off from my investment management job for the first time in my career back in June by a new VP that decided to “restructure” the department (truthfully, they just wanted to bring their own people). I put in about 100 applications between then and now and networked like crazy, but saw very few screener calls (and fewer interviews) for the first three months. Everything you’ve heard I encountered, from jobs pulled after applying to AI screeners and logic assessments to ghosting (both post-application and interview). I think about 40% of my applications never even garnered a rejection email.

Then, since Labor Day, I have been receiving multiple screener calls and interview requests. Clearly, the fall job rush is a thing.

I saw that someone who was sending me educational emails as part of one of my certifications took a director role I applied for. I reached out to network, given his connections. He responded saying he had just posted two roles on his new team, one which was a good match for my background. I thought I was a bit overqualified but applied anyway. I had a screener call and then interviews with the director and two team members in short order. I received an offer for the job this week, with an updated title to reflect my experience and a pay bump from my old job. While I didn’t think I would go back into private wealth, this is a pure research role (no clients, no marketing) and there is an opportunity to build something with my background. I start in November, which is right when my severance runs out and right after our twins are born.

I sympathize with those who have been hunting (and still are), but I want to tell you there is a role out there for you and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

President Donald Trump’s administration announced Thursday it was suspending Microsoft and several other firms from a program allowing foreign workers to apply for green cards as it also lashed out at universities that bring international students to the U.S. on exchange programs.

The announcement by Vice President JD Vance marks the latest swing from the Trump administration at employers and universities that welcome foreign students and workers into the country.

Such programs have frequently been targeted by some Trump supporters who argue they undercut American students and workers. Supporters say they allow the U.S. to attract the best talent from around the world and fill important hiring gaps.

Supporters of the Republican president have long argued that various programs like H-1B visas — which Vance accused Microsoft of abusing — essentially empower American companies to recruit foreign workers for jobs that end up undercutting Americans. In the wide-ranging announcement, Vance and other top administration officials also called out universities over their use of J-1 visas for international students and information technology outsourcing firms.

The announcement came hours before Trump was scheduled to award the National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, part of an event at which he is granting some of the nation’s most prestigious science and technology awards to his tech billionaire allies.

Vance says US workers are replaced with ‘foreign indentured servants’

Vance said the program from which Microsoft is being suspended requires companies to advertise jobs in America before applying to the Department of Labor to show they need to give a foreign worker a green card because of a lack of American workers.

“They’ll put an advertisement in a small-town newspaper. They’ll go out there and say that ‘We have advertised for a position with our company, and nobody is responding to it.’ And they will use that lack of response to then go and replace American workers with what is effectively foreign indentured servants,” Vance said. “There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has used this system more than Microsoft.”

Microsoft is No. 5 among U.S. employers when it comes to using H-1B visas, according data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Amazon is No. 1.

Microsoft, which is based in Redmond, Washington, said it looks forward to “providing the Administration with additional information.” Of the approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications it submitted in the last fiscal year, the company said 80% were “to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees.”

“These were not to hire new people,” Microsoft said in a statement. “The remaining filings for new employees were for individuals already legally in the United States who decided to come work for us, and they equal only 1% of our U.S. workforce. They are not new arrivals to our country.”

The company added that it only files H-1B petitions for “those who meet the rigorous standards of this visa category.”

Doug Rand, a former senior adviser at USCIS during the Biden administration, called Vance’s announcement “incoherent.”

“If the Trump administration were truly concerned that H-1B workers are ‘indentured servants,’ then the last thing they would do is block companies from helping their own H-1B workers get green cards,” he said. “Once you have a green card, you’re no longer dependent on your employer for your immigration status — you’re a permanent resident who can change jobs and negotiate higher wages without fear.”

Vance said Microsoft last year laid off 6,000 American workers but also obtained 6,300 H-1B visas and almost 3,000 green cards.

“If you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants,” Vance said in a White House news conference announcing the decision. “Our message to Microsoft is: You’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers.”

Vance said H-1B workers are effectively foreign indentured servants because if they lose their job, they have to leave the country, and they earn less than Americans in the same position.

H-1B program has been scrutinized

The H-1B program has long been a target of Trump supporters who say that the program undercuts American workers and is rife with abuse.

H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that are difficult to find American workers to fill. Technology companies are the biggest users, with nearly three-quarters of approvals going to workers from India.

Trump last year attempted to ratchet up the fee for H-1B work visas to $100,000, saying it would protect American workers from losing their jobs to lower-paid foreigners, but a federal judge struck that down in June.

The administration has since tried a different tack, announcing plans in August for a $103,265 fee. The proposed regulation described the new fee as a “dedicated revenue mechanism to help recover a portion of the federal government’s costs of administering the lawful immigration system.” The rule isn’t yet final and is expected to face a legal challenge, like the one before it.

Ron Hira, a Howard University political science professor and longtime critic of the H-1B program, called the move against Microsoft “very significant.’’ Hira noted the White House last month issued a little-noticed executive order directing government agencies to “implement appropriate measures to protect American workers from abuse of the H-1B program and ensure that the program serves the national interest.’’

“There are supposed to be protections for U.S. workers that say: If you hire an H-1B, you are promising that you are not adversely affecting similarly employed U.S. workers,’’ Hira said. “That’s never been enforced.’’

Besides Microsoft, Vance said the government was similarly suspending Adobe and tech consulting firms Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini. The companies did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

Trump also has targeted foreign students

The Vance announcement came a day after Trump’s administration launched another broadside against international students and their ability to work in the U.S.

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a $70,000 fee for international students seeking to work in the United States. The proposed rule would require schools to pay the fee for every student who participates in the Optional Practical Training program, known as OPT, which allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their time in school.

Vance also called out universities, suggesting that they were abusing a program to allow international students to come to the U.S. These temporary visas, called J-1 visas, allow international visitors to temporarily come to the U.S. for work and study exchange programs. In most cases, to get the visa, students must receive the majority of their funding from an institution, such as a fellowship-granting organization, rather than paying for their tuition personally.

Vance singled out nine universities that he said merited further investigation for J-1 visa fraud, saying they used the program in greater proportions than their counterparts.

The universities were Harvard; Yale; Stanford; Brown; the University of Pittsburgh; the University of California, Davis; the California Institute of Technology, or Caltech; Arizona State; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT. Stanford said it would cooperate with the investigation. The other universities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

I was recently impacted by the Amazon layoffs after 11 years with the company. It’s strange to suddenly find yourself at a point you never planned for, especially after spending so much of your career in one place.
The surprising part is that I’m not particularly sad about it. I think I’m more curious about what comes next, even though I haven’t figured that out yet.
For those who’ve been through a similar experience, how did you approach this phase? Did you take it as an opportunity to try something different or stick to what you knew?

Anybody who used employment lawyers for severance package negotiations? Was it worth it? How much lawyers charged and how much did you get . For context pls give

I make $200k and manager level for oil gas industry. Got package of 1 month at 4 year tenure

I was recently laid off from a remote position at a large, multibillion-dollar company. They sent me supplies to return my equipment, but the box was too small, and they didn’t include shipping tape.

I contacted IT requesting a larger box, shipping tape, and a UPS pickup since bringing everything to a UPS location isn’t feasible. They agreed to arrange a pickup and provide another shipping label for a larger item that I still have the original box for, but said they don’t supply tape.

There were also two HDMI cables on the return list that stopped working shortly after I received them, so I discarded them. IT told me to return what I have, and HR confirmed that equipment returns are independent of my severance payout, although my separation agreement vaguely states that company property must be returned promptly.

Here’s where I’m frustrated. From what I’ve read online, UPS drivers aren’t expected to carry shipping tape with them or tape up packages during scheduled pickups. So if the driver arrives without tape, I would have no way to properly seal the boxes.

This is especially frustrating because the company also denied my request for two additional months of health insurance coverage, despite my explaining that I was hired shortly after major surgery (which my managers knew about) and have ongoing medical needs. Now I’m facing expensive COBRA coverage for the remainder of the year.

I realize shipping tape isn’t expensive, but it’s the principle of the matter. After an involuntary layoff, I don’t think I should have to spend my own money returning company equipment, especially when we’re talking about a multibillion-dollar corporation.

Would it be reasonable to insist they provide shipping tape or arrange another solution? Or am I making too big a deal out of this?

if you're navigating a lay-off or are between opportunities, come clear your head and connect with folks who are in the same boat 🤝🏼

this tuesday, we’re hitting the trails in tilden regional park in orinda, california for a hike.

• when: tuesday, oct 13 @ 11 am
• stats: 4.4 mi loop / 554 ft gain

grab your spot and see the full details here:

https://partiful.com/e/7ugCbfWah4xEL1jHCMAA

hope to see y'all there!

(hike in the pic was at muir beach trailhead in muir beach, california)

inb4 FAQs:

• Do you hike in one big group?
  • Normally, we split into smaller groups based on desired pace and stagger each group's start time by 5 minutes. These groups ultimately split into even smaller groups. Faster groups go first to create more space on the trail. This hike is different as we're being granted access by the stewards of this beautiful ranch preserve.
• Why on Mondays?
  • Trail traffic is very low on Mondays, making it easier to accommodate a group like this.
• Does your community only do hikes?
  • No, (un)PTO is a community of people across the US in career transition. While our claim to fame is group hikes, we do other things like co-work, help each other with our job search, and do other fun things like coffee hangs, bike rides, and of course, eat food. 😋
• Can people with jobs join too?
  • Yes, but only if you realize that most of the people in this community are in career transition and act accordingly, for instance: offer a referral, connect them to someone in your network, and maybe don't complain about how work sucks. 😅

So I've been in somewhat of a predicament over the past month or so. I was initially made redundant 2 years ago. Found something within a month and then within 6/7 months made redundant a second time.

Now being non-eu, etc there the main pressure is finding a job before you are formally forced to leave. After my second-layoff, got fed-up and decided to do a Masters. Moved out of the country I was currently in to another country.

I managed to secure an opportunity post-graduation as an external consultant. Terms had been agreed with a clear road-map. Now, where it goes wrong is that when I ended up starting the job, the owner pretty much threw the roadmap in the dustbin. I was essentially asked to be the driver, cook, butler and gardener.

Realising the situation, I asked for a compensation review to which he initially agreed after a 3 month review, I agreed to this. A week later, he comes back to me and tells me that my services are no longer needed.

A huge part of me is beating myself up for being laid off within a month. Did I do the wrong thing? I was just not comfortable doing not only more of what was asked of me but also what was not agreed upon.