On Redundancy

Welcome to Hot Girl Breakthrough, where I provide actionable ideas and curated insights to help you do you, but better.

Today’s Breakdown

Question: What Do You Do For Work?

Being laid off at work is the corporate equivalent of a shock break-up. Blissfully unaware, maybe you’ve just got back from a little city break, assuming everything is going well, and then you get the call or message that things have changed - and fast.

It’s not like when you say to someone, or perhaps have been told, “this isn’t working.” Something not working, implies that it can be fixed. If it’s a long-term partner, you can try couples therapy, if it’s work, there is (or should be) a tangible, actionable plan to review your performance.

When I got the call, there were conflicting emotions. Shocked at the timing, having just delivered the biggest project for my company in several years. It also felt like I’d been betrayed. The people who smiled and joked with me 3 days prior were the same faces delivering me brutal news on a Monday morning.

It wasn’t betrayal, it’s business. Roles everywhere are being cut within structures struggling to remain cost-efficient. Redundancies aren’t personal even if they feel like they are. 

My emotions quickly changed to feeling incredibly calm and grounded. I had journaled a few weeks prior that I hate 9-5s and was discussing an exit plan with friends. To be given the time and space to take my foot off the gas and breathe for the first time in years is a gift. There is categorically no other way most of us get this extended paid time off. 

But in a society that worships our working status and fanciful job titles, being stripped of your role can leave you feeling naked. Being made redundant means I am now (f)unemployed. I represent a statistic in a Guardian or FT article emphasising the imminent collapse of the global economy. 

Our professional identity is intrinsically tied to our feelings of self-worth. Our jobs give us not only working capital but also social capital. To have the stamp of approval removed feels like rejection and will inevitably scratch at the scabs of previous rejections that aren’t even related.

I was at Soho House in late March. One of those rare Spring nights in London in which you can feel the palpable call of summer with the oddly warm air and buzzy energy. As we danced on the roof, an acquaintance’s husband introduced himself at 2am after clearly quite a heavy night of drinking leading up to that point.

Straining above the music, with his hot breath in my ear he leaned in to say, “Lovely to meet you, what do you do?” I was still employed, I replied quite honestly.

“What a fucking boring question at 2 in the morning.”

He looked back at me perplexed, like I’d insulted his whole being. Let me be clear, what someone does for work is important depending on the context. If I were dating, I’d want to know how my partner trades their time for money. If I were hiring, I’d want to know my potential collaborator’s professional experience to ensure they were a good fit for the role and culture.

But on a rooftop, or frankly, anywhere at 2am, I simply do not care. I don’t think most of us do, we’ve just been conditioned to.

Final thoughts: 

1. You cannot make a person redundant. A role, yes - but not a person. 

2. There are going to be an alarming amount of redundancies this year. Even if you love your job, have a plan.

3. Your self-worth isn’t defined by your job title.

4. Nobody knows what they’re doing regardless of what their LinkedIn bio says.

5. If you’re struggling with a recent redundancy, or are supporting someone, the brilliant Stef Sword-Williams has launched a campaign called “Their Loss” and a free webinar.

Breakthroughs

💄This Glossier lip gloss in Red might be the BEST unsung hero of all time. High-shine, lacquer-like lips with a whisper of colour for £16. This is how I expect all lip oils to behave but always fall short.

🎶 My summer holiday prep always involves music and my current music obsession is the global weekly song charts on Spotify. Yes, I do want to know what the locals are listening to before I get there so I can sing along. (As a language geek, this is also a really good way to improve your language learning.)

See you soon!

Rhea x

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