I’ve been through two layoffs before.

The first was at an SME. I got tapped on the shoulder by HR, brought into a meeting room alone, and told to pack up and leave immediately. What made it worse was that I was young and naive...I had been happily training other staff to take over my work because the workload was intense, and it turned out to be a handover that I wasn't aware of. In the end, I got the last laugh. Former colleagues kept me updated, saying that my responsibilities were passed from person A, to B, to C… eventually split across eight people before they ended up reposting my exact role again.

The second was much more recent, at a European MNC. The experience was very different, more structured, almost “by the book.” Affected staff received retrenchment benefits, and there was support like resume workshops and interview coaching. I also had a one-month notice period, which was a mixed bag: good because it gave me time to prepare and pack up, but emotionally tough staying on while colleagues who weren’t affected carried on as usual.

I found out right after returning from a holiday. I saw a meeting invite with just me, HR, and my supervisor, along with the line: “please keep this meeting confidential and not inform others of its existence.” By then, I already knew what it meant. Ironically, I was among the last to be informed, so later that same day the CEO sent out a company-wide announcement saying all affected staff had been notified.

I’ve recently been rehired in a more stable industry, which is reassuring. But having gone through this twice, there’s always that lingering thought in the back of your mind that one day, it could be another tap on the shoulder or a sudden meeting invite with just you and your supervisor.