Layoffs have never been a good idea for the employees. These save very little money, keep top performers away from work, make work stressful for the remaining employees who cover for the rest. During recession, in practice, companies cut down their staff strength in order to reduce costs. Organization's accountability to their shareholders and stakeholders ultimately results in the suffering of the employees. Employees get so focused on holding on to their own jobs that even the survivors often feel lost and confused in the shuffle. However, an employee who can accept, overcome and cope with changes such as Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and staff cutbacks, is the one who can survive the present scenario of recession.

Learning about human psychology at different levels during recession is a remarkable learning. In India, we have employers who have a critical view towards laying off people and freezing the hiring process. One can make an estimate, at the micro level, of the behavioral changes of organizations and its people during the crucial times of recession. It brings out the best, or should we say the worst in them. Thanks to recession, one can hear and experience instances or anecdotes, which range from being funny to weird. Nevertheless, they all have one thing in common, that is, they demonstrate, what kind of people we are surrounded with, who in times like these, lay off their employees.

That's how things are today. There are people who run the organizations, the ones that make rules and rule their employees. They apply newer strategies, newer rules to combat recession. So what do you have? The first thing that could happen is no increment. And then you have rules and conditions which are marvelous. Working on weekends have become demanding as one has to fend for oneself with no cabs, food, etc. And the humiliation just doesn't end there. As one can get official e-mails, phone calls or memos, asking why you were working on a weekend and using office resources, thus making you feel like a culprit.

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