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caption72 Photography corbis gm0413redp72.pdf Page 72 12/02/2013, 12:34:37 PM

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caption73 goodpsychology. Job losses are becoming a reality for more and more Australians, but there are practical steps people can take to cope with life post-redundancy. By Sarah Marinos edundancy can trigger powerful emotions that make it a challenging time for the person who loses their job and for their close family. In a report on unemployment, the Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission said the psychological and social costs are harsh. “The impact of redundancy causes family disruption and breakdown,” the report states. “At the very least it reduces people’s sense of membership and contribution to the life of the community.” Anger, anxiety about whether you’ll find another job, loss of self-esteem and self-confidence, and feeling helpless and not needed are all normal reactions. Feeling you have no control over your life and your future, confusion about why this has happened and a loss of identity are also normal reactions to job loss, says Associate Professor Michael Baigent, clinical advisor with the national depression agency beyondblue. These emotions can have differing importance depending on age, says Baigent.“The meaning of redundancy for a young person may be more personalised – they may see it as being about them not being employable. On the other hand, a young person may also have that bulletproof mentality – they’ll think ‘I’ll just get another job’. “An older person may recognise their job loss is related to the economy and if they are financially secure, the impact might also not be so much about the loss of income, either. But an older person may more strongly feel the loss of their role in the community, of being highly regarded and valued and of having an identity.” Disbelief and shock Redundancy brings different stages of feelings – often beginning with disbelief and shock. “People can feel quite disconnected and operate on automatic pilot ” says Aman

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caption74 “With a redundancy, you often get some money and some access to outplacement services, so make use of those,” she advises. “If you do want to find another job, don’t adopt a scattergun approach and apply for every job you see, because you can end up feeling awful if people don’t get back to you. Instead think about what jobs your skills fit and be discriminating.“ When you apply for another job, don’t dwell on resentment and anger about how you’ve been treated in the past. “Nobody wants to hear about that awful company you worked for before and how badly they treated you,” says Fuller. Staying in touch with friends and work associates is also important because those contacts may lead to potential job opportunities. So when you talk to these people about how your job search is going, talk proactively. “Don’t say nothing is happening,” says Fuller. “Talk about targeting specific career areas, researching job opportunities and doing some top-up study. “People may also want to help you so tell them if you need help typing up a resume, getting information about this or that company, or structuring your time.” Support after job loss If a loved one experiences redundancy, offer your support. “Be a good listener,” says Jefferys. “Make that person feel valued. “Don’t belittle their former job or workplace. Instead keep things positive and looking forward. Talk about how they think their future might look, what’s important today and what activities they can do today to help themselves. “But the most important thing is to listen and not direct. Often that person is doing the best they can in difficult circumstances and is not seeking solutions from loved ones; they are just seeking support. So ask them how you can best give that support.” Fuller says that once you start to resolve the difficult emotions, being made redundant can be a time when new opportunities present themselves