Loyalty and Layoffs

A very good friend of mine lost her job this week. She had worked for the same large company for 18 years. She had settled comfortably into her routine and had done a good job and felt secure. In one day, her security vanished. Like many companies nation-wide, even world-wide, the layoffs came swiftly and without notice. She felt blind-sided, betrayed, deceived. She took it personally. When you give it your all for that long, you expect some loyalty. In many ways, loyalty is the product of a bygone era. It's hard to find loyalty these days, whether from individuals or companies. The days of the handshake agreement are over. All bets are off -- it's every man for himself in this dog-eat-dog economy. We can no longer expect or take loyalty for granted. It's a shame, because loyal friends, employees, and clients are hard to come by. Mass layoffs by large companies are occurring at an insanely frequent rate. They say it's simply a business decision -- a business decision which affects families and plans and lives. Albert Einstein said, "In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity". Here's hoping that 2009 is a year of opportunities. Carpe diem, Amy.