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Recession Depression

Dealing With Layoffs and Downsizing

By Carma Haley Shoemaker

More than a loss of income, the effects of being laid off, let go or downsized can go beyond the financial. A person's self-worth may directly be linked to their net worth. "Everyone's self esteem is affected by layoffs – but especially dads," says Linda Nash, president of LJ Nash & Assoc. Inc., a change management consulting and training firm in St. Louis, Mo. "Dads are still the primary breadwinners, in most households and they feel the responsibility to take care of their families and provide all the things our society is accustomed to. Even when it isn't their fault they feel they have let everyone down, especially when they can't find something else right away. Men tend to identify with their jobs, feeling a loss of identity – and even loss of purpose – when employment is impacted."

Not only are these effects felt in the working world, but also at home. A dad who has lost his job may feel he has lost his place at the head of the table as well. "Most men also feel that once they lost their jobs, they also lose some of their authority with their kids," says Braginsky. "They say they neither receive nor deserve the respect they had before their unemployment. Their thoughts are that they are a failure and why should or would their children listen to a failure?"

"When I lost my job, I was devastated," says Paul Jordan, a telephone and cable lineman from Morehead, Ky. "I was worried over how we would all eat, keep the kids' school, buy things we needed. I finally realized all we had to pay. The bills, the kids – I worried tremendously that we would need something we couldn't bu, like a hot water heater, etc. It was the most devastating thing to happen to me in a long time."

Want to see more?

• Laid Off and Pregnant: Health Coverage and Job Hunting After a Layoff
• Raising Toddlers During Recession: Tips for Communicating with Small Children in Hard Times
• Join the discussion on our Family.com community!
• Maternity Leave During Hard Times: Layoffs, Your Rights and Tips to Keep Your Job Safe
• Stressful Times and Pregnancy: How Stressful Situations Can Affect Baby and Mom-to-be

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