I've been made redundant. What now?

If you've been made redundant, you're not alone. Between November 2023 and January 2024, 133,000 UK employees lost their jobs due to redundancy.

But nobody can prepare you for the life altering impact of redundancy. It can affect your self esteem, confidence and self belief, make you feel lonely and even depressed.

The good news is that you won't feel this way forever. Like any loss, it's important to allow yourself to grieve. Yes, grieve! Go through all the stages; denial, anger, bargaining and low mood, before you reach a state of acceptance.

Many well meaning friends will tell you to start looking for another job right away.

But this can be damaging for a number of reasons:

• You may still be in shock if the redundancy was unexpected
• Legally, you might not be allowed to search for other jobs within a defined timeframe (check your redundancy contract!)
• Any job rejections may have a negative impact and cause your mental health to plummet

Similarly, you may want to use this time to take stock of your previous role, experience and skill set.

Consider whether you want to return to a similar role, or try your hand at something new. 60% of people who are made redundant consider a career change.

Plenty of people who are made redundant agree it's the best thing that ever happened to them! But you won't feel this straight away. So be kind and patient with yourself.

What to do in the first week

You might not feel like doing much in the first few days after accepting redundancy. It's important that you focus on your mental and physical health during this time.

• Eat healthy, nutritious food that will keep your energy levels up - don't worry about the odd treat, this isn't the time to punish yourself!
• Try to get outside every day, even if just for a short time. The fresh air will do you the world of good and exercise will help you sleep better at night.
• Socialise when you feel like it, but don't feel any pressure to see everyone at once. You may want to spend a bit of time on your own, resting. Just make sure you don't shut yourself away from everyone - if you don't fancy meeting friends out, schedule phone calls instead.
• Resist the urge to begin job hunting immediately. Ideally, you'll have received a lump sum from your previous employer to tide you over for at least a month. So use the first week to look after your wellbeing, then you can start to consider your next move.

Managing your mental health

Your mental health is the most important thing to focus on when you've lost your job for any reason. It's completely normal to take a knock to your self esteem and confidence, especially if you've moved from full-time employment to having no job to go to.

You may be used to commuting, a busy office and socialising with work colleagues. Suddenly, you're stuck at home, alone, unsure of what to do with yourself.

Kindness is your greatest tool at this stage. Be gentle with yourself and set realistic expectations. If you want to lie on the sofa and binge watch Netflix shows in the first week, that's ok! Journal your feelings, speak to friends and family, and take each day one step at a time.

After a week or so, it's important to put together a plan. This plan should cover eating, exercise, self care and socialising, as well as some initial steps for finding a new role. If you can find balance in each of these areas - focusing on your wellbeing without being too restrictive, you'll begin to feel better sooner than you expect.

Try to avoid negative self-talk. You have value and worth and redundancy is not your fault!

It's something most people will experience at some stage of their career. And it's no reflection on your ability, personality or capability to find another role. You're wonderful - and redundancy hasn't changed that. But it's also ok to feel sad about being made redundant.

It IS unfair that it happened to you and of course you might wish things were different - that's valid and you're allowed to think it. You will feel better soon, just give yourself time.

Moving forward

Of course, you will likely need to find another job at some point. You might wish to return to a similar role or industry. Or you may use this time to try something totally new.

If you're not sure where to begin, there are a number of resources to help you navigate this tricky time:

• If you're considering a career change, this book will help: Finding Square Holes: Discover who you really are and find the perfect career
• Take an NLP course: NLP can help you improve self belief, communication, decision-making, minimise stress and manage your time effectively.
• Update your Linkedin profile and CV, join any relevant groups on social media and attend events.
• Reach out: speak to friends and family and ask for advice about how to find your next role when you're ready
• Get mental health support: If you're struggling and can't seem to move forward, contact your GP or visit the Mind website for advice.

The big picture

You are strong, brave and resilient - and you've overcome 100% of the challenges you've faced in life so far. So you will overcome this one too.

Being made redundant is difficult but it can create opportunities and give you a gentle nudge towards a new career path or role you otherwise might not have considered.

Redundancy Hub UK is dedicated to providing unbiased support and advice to people through every stage of redundancy.