Have things seemed a little different at work lately? Do you find yourself out of the office loop? Maybe you are about to get fired. Here?s how to read the warning signs that you are about to be let go.? The earlier you pick up the warning signs, the sooner you can prepare.
Changes Within The Company??
Sometimes your employment status is not in your control. There could be moves happening within the company that could force you to lose your job. ?Frequent closed-door meetings, with executives from headquarters, can be an ominous sign. Usually these meetings mean that management has decided to make some changes at your local office, and your job could be vulnerable,? notes certified career coach Cheryl E. Palmer.??
If the company has been cutting back the budgets of various departments, jobs could be the next budget cut. ?If there are shortfalls in the budget, your job could be on the chopping block. A lack of revenue can soon translate into a lack of a job for you. Pay attention to the company’s bottom line to find out if the company is likely to implement layoffs soon,? Palmer advises. ?There have already been layoffs, and there are rumors of more to come. If the bloodletting hasn’t stopped yet, you probably need to start looking for something else.???
Company takeovers and mergers are also an indication that there may be some firings. ?Company mergers that result in a duplication of functions can mean bad news for you. If you have a position that has a counterpart in the acquiring company, your job could be very much in danger. Generally speaking, the acquiring company will eliminate duplicate positions,? explains Palmer.?????Changes With Your Job?However, if you have noticed your boss treating you differently or your workload is being decreased, this too could be a sign you are on the way out. ?Work that you used to do is transferred to someone else. If you find that tasks that were formerly assigned to you have been reassigned to another employee, it could be a sign that management plans to lay you off,? says Palmer.??
Is your boss being more critical of your work? ?Multiple write-ups. If you went from being a great employee with good reviews to suddenly getting written up for multiple things, you’re probably on your way out,? says employee-side employment attorney Donna Ballman, author of Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired.??
If you are suddenly out of the loop, this is not a good sign. ?If you are no longer invited to meetings, events and conferences that you used to attend, you may be about to be fired,? notes Ballman. ?If your boss starts cancelling meetings with you at the last minute and not rescheduling, it’s probably because he knows there’s no point to the meetings.???
Technology can also cause you to lose your position. ?The work that you do can easily be automated. If the type of work you do can be done by a machine instead of a person, you may need to look for another type of job. It’s usually just a matter of time before your company decides that a machine can do your job for less money,? offers Palmer.
