How to Get Laid Off | Why Quit Your Job, When You Can Get Laid Off Instead?

How to get laid off from a job that you want to quit. Anyone leaving on a round-the-world trip will eventually need to decide on the preferred method as to how they’re going to resign from their current position. Options typically include quitting with notice, quitting without notice (probably not recommended), getting fired (also probably not the best choice), or getting laid off.

How to Get Laid Off

Why would anyone prefer to get laid off? It turns out that there are quite a number of perks to being laid off:

1. Unemployment benefits
2. Severance
3. Free/discounted healthcare

It’s probably pretty easy to get laid off if you’re disliked, lazy, or known for building forts in the copy room made from reams of paper. But how do you get laid off when you’re meeting expectations or are known as a top performer?

In today’s economy, management is constantly reallocating its headcount. In other words, the business world has evolved into a place where layoffs occur almost every year in some way or fashion. As I worked for a company that assists others in outsourcing, I saw first-hand how eager executive management can be to outsource/offshore as many tasks as possible to save a few dollars.

When researching this topic I came across many tips on how to get laid off. Many of these tips were awful. Such as, be annoying or be messy. The guidance I did receive that seemed the most constructive was the idea of discussing the company’s staffing levels with your manager and finding a way to wiggle your way into being included in the next company-wide layoffs.

How to Get Laid Off in Four Easy Steps

The first thing you should do is to set up a time to meet with your manager. If they ask why you’re setting up this one-on-one meeting simply state you have some human resource questions that you’d like to discuss. During the meeting, make sure to follow these four steps in this order.

1. Sympathize with your manager how hard it must be to downsize or reduce headcount (especially when it seems like the workload is ever-increasing)
2. Explain how you’re willing to sacrifice your position because you’d prefer to be let go rather than have someone else (who may need the job) be laid off
3. Emphasize during the end of the discussion that with this loss you’d like to receive severance pay
4. Negotiate the amount of severance pay if applicable

Depending on how the discussion is progressing, you may want to wait until after the meeting to discuss the fourth step. However, it’s a good idea to come prepared and willing to discuss this number.

Most likely, your manager will be grateful that you came to them. They’ll most likely be relieved that they have at least one easy way to reduce headcount, you!

At the end of the meeting allow your manager additional time to absorb the information you just shared with them. Most likely, they won’t have an immediate response and will have to share your feedback with their manager. Therefore, tell them that you don’t need an immediate response, however, you did want to share your thoughts with them. Finally, schedule a time for a follow-up meeting.

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