2025 ended with a bang. On Dec 16th I learned that my Boss will be let go at the beginning of 2026. Merry Christmas? I am not supposed to know but we have been friends for 30 years and he told me the day after he found out. From the unofficial channels it sounds like they will be cutting about 5% of the company, which is about 70 people. Happy New Year? My Team is currently working a few million in projects, so I have no idea what managements plans are but they have to cut costs so they will still get thier EOY bonuses (Our Fiscal year ends in April). If you're the praying type please add me and my team to your list.
This week will be a hectic one.
Pray that God will use this time (these events) of apparent setback as His opportunity to open doors (for you, your boss, your coworkers and your company) to open doors to new opportunity.
"Man's adversity is God's opportunity."
1) This is a time to reconsider your spiritual practices. Do you read the Bible and pray daily, or is it just, "Oh, please, dear God, I want to keep my job..." wishful thinking? If not, start with some of the "wisdom literature" --the book of James and Proverbs. If you're just "sort of religious," a fox-hole Christian, then something more basic: The Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5,6,and 7-an excellent starting point for the Christmas+Easter-only Christians.
I recommend the ESV Study Bible--lots of helpful notes, charts, maps, and stuff.
2) Encourage your boss to
hit the ground running and have all the info he needs and forms in-hand and filled out for unemployment, bridge health-care, EBT/SNAP, etc. Knowledge is power! And being on top of this will help him fight discouragement, or worse, a sense of defeat and despair. In my state, unemployment begins two weeks after you apply--not from when you were laid off. So it's important to know filing deadlines and things. Maybe he should stop by an unemployment office now and go over everything so he doesn't make a filing error when the time comes.
2-A) Where are food banks and pantries and the like, does he need to "qualify" for them? Find out. Maybe you can do a little research leg-work for him, get a list? Remind him that this is a setback, not the end of the world, people get through these with various degrees of success or failure, but manage to move on.
It's part of life. Unpleasant, painful, untidy, like burying a loved one--it happens to us all at some time(s) or another.
3) Make sure he's got his resume up to date, and to consult with employment experts. Things have changed--lots of AI-generated and AI-reviewed HR departments. I myself wouldn't have any idea of what to do! And, of course, he needs to connect with companies in your field--especially your competitors!
Edit, 2nd thought: If he could get a replacement job lined up, it might prompt his superiors to reconsider his value to your company. I've heard stories where a current employer, when confronted with a worker who had a better offer elsewhere, decided to promote or give a raise to that current employee to keep him!
4) Encourage him. When the axe falls, take him (and his family?) out to dinner. Help him resist bitterness, a sense of failure, resentment, etc. "for the bosses to get their EOY bonuses" may or may not be a factor--but it's negative, hostile thinking and should be avoided.
4-A) Advise him to prepare his family for belt-tightening and other adjustments. His being around the house all the time will change family dynamics, and possibly cause friction. Everybody needs to anticipate and adjust. If his wife works and becomes the family's main breadwinner, that changes the power relationship. Things like that.
5) Who's going to take his place? Is this your opportunity? Helping him now will pay off later, a) in personal satisfaction (minimum) now, or b) in good will and possible opportunities, later.
Sign me,
"Been there, done that, didn't get a T-shirt."
