When job layoffs hit you, they hit your family too. Surviving job loss means all you have to survive this period. Job loss sometimes hurts your family more than you, because they have to tighten their belts but they have even less say in it than you did. Their pain may be even deeper than yours.
You probably won't know if or when you will be laid off. But you at least hear the rumors and watch your industry. Your family mostly watches the checking account and credit cards. It may be embarrassing, but preparing your family for the possibility of your being laid off probably will help your family, even if it hurts them a little bit.
Here are some tips of how to discuss this with your family before the layoff occurs:

1. Discuss the situation at work with your family. Most people do not talk about the gruesome details of their work at home. And fewer families want to hear it, because they usually just cannot relate to any of the details of people, personality, etc. But now, you need to tell your family what the rumors are and what's happening in other departments and areas.
2. Discuss the news with your family. When you see financial news or stock market reports, discuss with your family how that could affect your job. Let them know when certain "bad" news is actually good news for your industry. Let them know when bad news really is bad news for your company.
3. Let your family talk openly of their fears. Your family may not be telling you how scared they are. Or how scared the nightly news makes them. Or how much they want to know what is going on, even if it is worse than they imagined.
4. Discuss money with your family. Now more than any other time, your family needs know where they stand financially,. And you need to know what they consider important, and what they are willing to give up and what they want to keep, if the budget has to be tightened.
5. Discuss "what if" scenarios. Have your family brainstorm what you all should do in different situations. Role play and imagine about various possibilities. This may prepare them better for the emotional impact if job layoffs hit your company.

Not letting your family know the reality - or as much of the reality as you know - means that a layoff will hit them really hard. They may even feel betrayed, if it runs out that you had an idea that you might be laid off and did not tell them. They deserve to prepare themselves for the emotional affect of job loss just as much as you do.
Preparing yourself ahead of time for a layoff is one part of your strategy for surviving job loss. Part of preparing yourself includes preparing your family. Job loss is a transition period, which requires the same planning as any other transition. Unfortunately, most programs deal with the aftermath of job loss, not the preparation for job loss.

For your FREE and EXCLUSIVE report on the 12 parts of a REAL program to aggressively attack job loss and layoffs, click on SURVIVING JOB LOSS, no matter what time it is. Even 2:00 a.m. - we are here when you decide to take action. JOB LOSS JUDO is a comprehensive program to fight the effects of job loss and layoff, and put you in position to not work in fear of being laid off ever again.

Almost everyone fears getting laid off. The sudden loss of income. The loss of prestige and standing, since so many people define themselves by their jobs and careers. What people should be most afraid of is the effect that job loss has on your spirit and psyche. Surviving job loss for many people means surviving emotionally.
In hard economic times, everyone should be preparing themselves for possible job loss. There are plenty of tips out there for making a household budget. Writing a resume. Looking for that next job. But are people preparing themselves emotionally for job loss?
Here are 5 suggestions for preparing yourself emotionally for losing your job. Now, this is not a psychological treatise on mental preparation. Don't use this article if you have serious emotional issues or need professional help. These are probably things you haven't thought about, but might come in handy.

1. Realize your worth is more than just your job. Your job simply defines your income, and really only defines what your employer thinks your income should be. I moved once to a new job - involuntarily - and lost 33% income, and became tremendously happier in a better position.
2. Move from blame to planning quickly. One of the universal emotional reactions to losing your job is blaming yourself. But if you have prepared yourself emotionally, then that period of blame becomes very short. You move quickly into planning to get the next job. And during a period of job loss, time is your enemy.
3. Prepare your family emotionally. It doesn't help your spirits and your attitude if your family is still stuck with dealing emotionally with the shock of job loss. Tell them ahead of time what to expect and how you as a family can deal with it.
4. Set up your support system. This is more than just gathering your buddies and going out to dinner or drinking or playing video games. It is lining up people who can help you from a get-another-job perspective.
5. Shift your mindshift to "my new job is to get my next job." The only focus you have after getting laid off is to get the next job. But right after losing your job, that is the last thing on your mind. Getting into that mindset as quickly as possible will get you there faster.

If your company is hit with job layoffs, and you lose your job, the emotional effect can be devastating. On you and your family. Without any preparation, it can just ruin your life. One problem is that you more easily slip into alcohol abuse or depression, which really ruins your chances of getting that next job.
So part of your strategy for surviving job loss is to prepare yourself for the emotional effects. This puts you already in the "I can get through this" mindset. This preparation, and having an actual strategy and plan for the hard times, can lessen the impact.

For your FREE and EXCLUSIVE report on the 12 parts of a REAL program to aggressively attack job loss and layoffs, click on SURVIVING JOB LOSS, no matter what time it is. Even 2:00 a.m. - we are here when you decide to take action. JOB LOSS JUDO is a comprehensive program to fight the effects of job loss and layoff, and put you in position to not work in fear of being laid off ever again.

Surviving job loss means more than just surviving financially. But, realistically, if your finances tank, then all the other areas of your life become that much more difficult. Layoffs devastate your finances and lifestyle. Your budget goes nuts. Your family panics and spends all the savings. Your retirement goes. Your house goes. Your life goes.
But what if your company told you that on a specific date, you were going to be laid off? Wouldn't you get your finances in order? That would make the income stopping less hard. It would make the transition from no income to next income a little easier. The reality is: in this economy, the only thing you don't know is the specific date.
Here are 5 things you can do right now with your finances, anticipating job layoffs, to get your finances in order.

1. Streamline your cash outflow. Look at what you spend money on. Look at what you plan to spend money on. Pick the things that can be deferred, or cut out altogether.
2. Know your family debt and how to service it. Far too many families have no idea of how much money they owe and how much they spend each month on paying the debt. Even fewer families know how close they are to paying it off.
3. Use your vested savings last. You have put a lot of time and money into long-term investments, like your house and your retirement plan. Tapping into those things for everyday money is way too expensive. Develop a household budget that has does not require you to access that money, ever.
4. Eliminate luxuries. Easy to say, hard to do. First thing is get the family together and have your family define what a luxury is. Or, if they want to keep the luxury, what they will cut out to save it.
5. Prioritize your spending. Look at the plan you developed in number 1 above, the budget in number 3, and the definition of luxuries in number 4. Use this to pay the most important things first. Use this to say no to demands on your family's money, even if the demand comes from your family.

This is an unpleasant subject. It is difficult to face the fact that you may get laid off. But it is more difficult to watch your retirement money get spent for today's food, and to see the taxes and penalties you pay on that., It is difficult to see the FORECLOSURE notice on the house that you went to work everyday for.
Having a plan and strategy for dealing with job loss can lessen the pain. It won't make it go away. It won't prevent a layoff, if the company is committed to laying you off. But planning for a layoff - even one you think is unlikely - can have positive repercussions throughout your life.

For your FREE and EXCLUSIVE report on the 12 parts of a REAL program to aggressively attack job loss and layoffs, click on SURVIVING JOB LOSS, no matter what time it is. Even 2:00 a.m. - we are here when you decide to take action. JOB LOSS JUDO is a comprehensive program to fight the effects of job loss and layoff, and put you in position to not work in fear of being laid off ever again.

Ignoring the possibility of layoff means spending valuable time coming up to speed if you are laid off.  When you are laid off, time getting another job is the last thing you want to waste.
 
Preparing for a layoff is a step to laying out a strategy for surviving job loss.  Look around you.  There are plenty of books and seminars that offer tips for job loss.  Cut coupons.  Eat at home.  But having a strategy that is focused on getting you through job loss quickly and efficiently should make this period less hard on you and your family.
 

For your FREE and EXCLUSIVE report on developing a strategy for getting through a layoff, click on SURVIVING JOB LOSS right now. JOB LOSS JUDO is a program developed by Rick Carter, an attorney with 15+ year's' experience and over 25 years as a martial arts student.