Don’t. We don’t use them. One person heard “for a fact” that their paycheck this Friday was going to have such a slip. I know there’s a lot of anxiety, concern and speculation about the job cuts that are looming. And a lot of interest in the process, the “how.” So I chatted for a few minutes with one of my colleagues in HR about the RIF process. Let’s say a certain role or job has been deemed not necessary (mine, as a likely example. smirk). My department’s submitted a plan and it’s been run through all the hoops and approved. What I would receive is a packet with a letter from my manager or area leader. The letter would serve as my sixty days notice, and my primary job during that time will most likely be to find another job (and UTMB will have resources in place to help me). If my skills are needed and openings exist at UTMB, I’ll get considered for those. I still will get paid and have benefits during this period. There’ll be a job recruiter assigned to me to help me find a job, a Benefits rep to help if I have questions as I transition roles, an EAP counselor if I need his/her help during this tough time, and classes and resources to help update my resume and pick up tips on searching and applying for jobs online. A dedicated Resource Center will also be set up for me to use on campus.
Will it still stink? Yes. Will I be on my own? No.
I’d also work to remind myself and encourage the 12,000 or more of you who would still be employed to remember that this RIF was not a personal thing, not a reflection on me or something I did or didn’t do well. It’s about roles and jobs and an organization making tough decisions to position itself to survive and succeed in a changing world. It’ll be tough on everyone, those who stay and those who go. Let’s try to be here for each other.
Not a fun time at all. It does tend to give one a bit of a sick feeling, however, we’ve “been there, done that,” at UTMB before. We’ll keep sailing this ship on into the future. A brighter one.