Late Shift Collaborative

Thousands of Federal workers in the United States have been laid off or fired since the Trump Administration took office in 2025. Workers from the Department of Justice, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture, the IRS, and USAID have received generic emails ending their jobs.

I thought this would be a good time to talk about being let go from a job.

A layoff is a strange experience. I tell new attorneys that they will be laid off more than their non-lawyer peers because of the nature of law practice post-2008, but layoffs are becoming more common in most industries. Gone are the days of working at one job for a whole career and retiring with a pension – at least for most of us. I was laid off by a firm that was failing, and even though I knew layoffs, as a general concept, were likely, when it happened to me, I was shocked. I had a pre-mediation call scheduled for that same morning. My manager, who I had a great relationship with, was visibly uncomfortable when I asked if I could at least do the call. She said she was supposed to escort me from the premises, so she sat in my office while I took the call and packed my belongings. She tried not to cry. I tried not to cry. It was a very weird, very emotional experience – especially because the predominant feeling I was feeling was not sorrow. I was relieved not to have to have that job any more, relieved that I would not have to be one of the attorneys and staff responsible for winding the firm down. I had been catapulted from my day-to-day stresses and responsibilities. It was disorienting.

In a state of shock, I carried my little box of highlighters, notebooks, photos, and plants – always plants – to my car, and I sat in the driver’s seat and searched on the internet “what to do when you get laid off.” The advice was mostly practical: ask about severance, apply for unemployment benefits, update your resume, ask for an official letter from HR, but what I was searching for was advice on how I was supposed to feel right then.

Next, I called my mom, and she was, as always, supportive and encouraging, but she and I ended up in a bit of an echo chamber: “What happened?” “I don’t know mom, what just happened?” “I don’t know Chrissy, what are you going to do now?” “I don’t know, mom. What am I going to do now?”

Eventually, a friend took me to lunch and helped me process what had happened. He let me talk through my hurt feelings of rejection and my worried feelings of new unemployment. Having a person willing to externally process these big, unexpected changes can be really helpful. But even if you are alone, sometimes it helps to get your thoughts out on paper by journaling or drawing.

I’m going to offer some advice, which I will rarely do as a coach. If you are laid off, take the rest of the day off. Treat it like there was a gas leak at the office and the internet is down, so you were sent home with no way to work. Play a video game, call a friend to have lunch, walk your dog, binge a tv show. You don’t need to do anything else today. Eventually, you will settle into some feelings, and they will likely be mixed: anger, grief, relief, worry are common ones. Give yourself some time to feel these.

If you are struggling in a way that becomes a crisis, please reach out to the professionals at 988. They have special training, and the training is not just for thoughts of self-harm. They are happy to hear from you about other kinds of crises. You can call them on the phone or chat with them via text or the internet. If you feel that you do need help processing your feelings about a layoff, I recommend talking to a therapist licensed where you live. And if you need help processing your values, goals, and next steps, I would love to hear from you! A coach can help you organize your thoughts, set goals, and ensure that your next move comes from your true self!