Let's Talk Layoffs Podcast reposted this
Like many, I was laid off from my sweet marketing job at Salesforce a few months ago after a pretty amazing 5 year run. This is the fourth time I’ve been laid off in my 15+ year career as a program manager/producer in the digital marketing space. When a company lets you go it’s very easy to become reactionary, resentful and righteously indignant. It’s easy to call out the company’s dysfunction, poor management decisions and how completely off the rails they are—even though the lashing out is probably a byproduct of your own vulnerability and hurt. Admittedly, I’m guilty of this. My last manager at Salesforce was noticeably upset when I joined what would be our last 1:1 Google Meet, during which she broke the fateful news. I didn’t have much of an emotional response at the moment. I really just wanted her to cut to the chase so I could understand what I’d be up against in the coming months in terms of how I was going to maintain my life in San Francisco without employment. The three other companies that laid me off gave me anywhere from zero to four weeks of severance pay with no extended benefits. In one case I was literally escorted off the premises by security holding my sad box of desk tchotchkes, coffee cups and succulents. Dehumanizing to say the least. When my manager at Salesforce explained the details of the severance package, I experienced a moment of disbelief, followed by a palpable sense of relief. Along with giving me my yearly bonus and a six month severance payment, they also covered six months of COBRA coverage allowing me to keep my Aetna PPO, at least for a while. Two weeks ago, due to diabetic complications, I was rushed to the ER with a terrible foot infection that had gotten into my bone and blood stream, requiring multiple surgeries to eradicate. In fact, I’m writing this post from my hospital room now, my 15th day here. I will probably be here for at least another week. Needless to say, if I didn’t have health insurance right now, or if I was forced to get subpar insurance due to prohibitive costs, I would be utterly f**king screwed. I’m talking about thousands and thousands of dollars of medical debt. And so I’m writing this post out of deep gratitude towards Salesforce who, despite my being estranged from the “Ohana”, took care of me and provided generously for my transition to the next chapter, a transition happening in the worst job market since 2008. Within the meaning of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, corporations are classified as “persons”. I’ve never met a person who was completely infallible, and like most persons, we make poor decisions sometimes and we may not follow the ideal path, our behavior may become highly questionable but, despite this, persons also have the capacity to be compassionate, considerate and empathetic, often when it’s needed most. So thank you, Salesforce. You are truly a kind person and I’m extremely grateful and appreciative. Mahalo.