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I am worried about losing my job, what can I do?

106 Answers
Last Updated: 05/06/2022 at 3:55pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
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Top Rated Answers
Anonymous
November 4th, 2014 12:29am
Why are you worried? Is it something in your control, like your performance? Or do you simply have a difficult boss / the company is losing money? If you have control, ask yourself what steps you can take to ensure you keep your job. If it is beyond your control, there is no sense worrying-- just start sending out resumes now and preparing yourself.
friendatheart
August 25th, 2015 7:40am
Just calm down first of all. A stressed mind never yields the best of results. No one can take your skills away and that is what you own. So work hard, prove to everyone that you are every penny worth of what you are.
Kat66
November 5th, 2014 5:45pm
work hard and stay focused im sure your job will be safe just do the best you can on the job and at work
Ken1969
September 14th, 2014 6:47pm
Regardless of the reason for possibly losing your job the best thing you can do is prepare. Cut out unnecessary spending, take a proactive approach by looking at employment options, update your resume. If you're losing your job because of something you did or didn't do it might be beneficial to take a look at the situation and learn from it.
Ilhan
September 21st, 2014 9:10am
You are worrying about loosing your job , think about what you are doing wrong and why you are worrying about loosing it ?Are the problems coming from you ?or a colique . Sometimes its normal to feel such way the important think is to stand right infront of your problem and find a way to by pass it escaping is not the solution .
Alexandra13
September 27th, 2014 3:54am
I'm sorry. When I thought I was going to lose my job, I went in to my boss and talked to him about what I could do to help out more around the company. If there was any extra work he needed to be done. I hope that helped and good luck!
JackDaniels2
November 4th, 2014 6:03pm
Do your best and forget the rest. Find a small and specific goal to achieve and strive for it. The rest will likely fall into place.
Trigrams
September 12th, 2014 6:52pm
Take into account that a job is a collection of objectives that must be met. And the more succesfully you meet them, the more important you become in your job. So if you are productive and you're offering there's virtually zero possibility that you'll lose your job. So the thing you can do is meet all your objectives concerning your job.
ChaoticleighGorgeous
July 20th, 2019 11:57am
I think that most of us have been concerned about the security of our employment at some point during our work histories. Our jobs provide us the means to sustain life as we know it for ourselves and for our families. Most of us would not be able to afford our present living situations if we lost our jobs, so the fear of losing a job can be very stressful. Times during my life in which I felt as though my employment was not secure, my fears came from various places. Some causes for my concern were very real (Not paying attention to detail; failure to follow directions; excessive absences or tardiness; boss who was unpredictable; something tangible like that). Other fears about losing my job were the product of my own thoughts. In these cases, I may have, in fact, messed up at work. Rather than addressing the issue promptly with a work superior, I allowed my thoughts to spin off into hundreds of directions about what might happen. I think the best thing we can do about worried feelings over losing our jobs is to practice mindfulness. Look at the situation as clearly and devoid of losing ourselves in the emotions of what might happen. Look at the facts of the situation. If we've messed up at work, addressing it with a supervisor or boss at work as quickly as possible can, at the very least, help us determine whether and how our fears need to be addressed.
Anonymous
November 13th, 2014 8:25pm
Why worry? Don't assume things. If you feel strongly about this, keep trying and push yourself to do better.
Bartek
September 18th, 2014 1:51pm
1st of all -you need to rationalise how much your worries can be actual threats of you losing job.. f.e. is it more because of what we hear in massmedia or is it really because your company is going through workforce reduction. Also you need to think if you can influence the situation anyhow - is addressing the question directly with your manager going to give you a clear answer or maybe he/she does not even know... Then you need to think about your past performance - have you been recognised for being an asset to your organisation before or maybe you're struggling with in your current role... If you're struggling - maybe the asnwer is that this is not the right job for you. If you're peforming great but still you are at risk of losing job, then you need to rationalise that this is something you can merely influence in terms of risk reduction...that you've done your bit already. What you can do however is try to think of you and your greatest strenghts, things that you accomplished, things you're proud of and how relevant they can be to other jobs on the market.. It is sometimes good to go to some job interviews to test yourself and see how confident you can be or if you would be able to re-apply if the situation requires it. It's good to start thinking up a network of people that you can contact to maximise your chances on the job-market (could be external or internal to your current company)...
Uniqueg
October 30th, 2014 9:28pm
Do the best you can do, and be prepared that it might be a possibility, and if your comfortable ask your boss what's the status of your job.
FriendlySeal
November 23rd, 2015 11:28pm
Keep up your good and work as hard as you can to show your boss that you shouldn't be sacked and that you can help the place your work a lot.
evodang
October 21st, 2016 2:37pm
I recommend speaking wih someone in your human resources department. There was a time when I missed a lot of work because my depression was extremely impacting my life- so I met with my HR supervisor and told him, bluntly, I was scared I was going to get fired because of it. I told him about my depression- I offered supporting documents for the counseing appointments I went to during the time I didn't go to work, and I reiterated to him that I loved my job- but was going through an insanely difficult time for me. Over a year later, I am still with the company and am in a better position than I was before.
JWhitman
October 18th, 2018 4:14pm
This worry is perfectly natural. Many people experience this anxiety and it can be caused by all manner of things. Try to be aware of where this anxiety comes from and what thought processes feed it. Give yourself space to feel this emotion and be aware that this is perfectly OK. Many jobs are stressful, difficult, sometimes mundane, and challenging, however our ability to manage this experiences is greatly increased if we practice reflection. Having a greater awareness of what drives negative emotions better equips us to counter them. For example, if your fear of losing your jobs comes from a competitive workforce, then ask yourself why that environment triggers you to feel uncomfortable. Practice naming your own thoughts and feelings. Negative thoughts love hiding in the dark, but once they have a light shone on them we can then see them for that really are.
whimsicalNatural84
January 3rd, 2015 1:15am
Talk with your supervisors or managers about your job performance. Ask them for ways to improve or be a better worker.
kindsen4u
June 7th, 2018 1:35am
Before worrying about losing your job, make a plan for Plan B! Think about your future and the career you are going to do next time! And if you ever lose your job, don't be sad about it! It means making changes in your life! Move on and find another career because there are loads of it. Just stay happy and positive! :)
HouseOfGold21
January 18th, 2018 5:52pm
You should voice your concerns to your manager. Do you have any actual evidence that you're going to lose your job? If you think you're going to lose your job because you turn up late, make an effort to turn up extra early. If you don't contribute very much, make an effort to speak up.
PlumQueen2988
October 25th, 2016 6:37am
If you are worried about losing your job, you should do what you can to reduce your stress levels and remain calm, cool and collected on the job! Also, feel free to ask your coworkers and boss how you are doing on the job! If you will be fired or given a warning, they would know.
Edward2015
June 23rd, 2015 6:47pm
First take a step back and look at your situation from an outside view. Look at both the internal and external factors that may cause job loss. You need to find out what factors you can control and what changes you can personally make. Outline negative factors like bad habits, falling into a rut or being to consistent. Find positives, make yourself more valuable at work, be eager to learn new skills/job aspects. Most companies have an open door policy that allows you to talk to your immediate manager, supervisor or a human resource personnel. It is their job to provide job feedback, evaluation and potential discipline.
freshTree39
September 16th, 2017 8:15am
It is important to maintain an updated resume and, quite frankly, to always be on the lookout for better opportunities through both networking and job searches. Being proactive in the search for new employment during a time of potential job loss is paramount to an easier transition. It is also important, should you lose your job, to leave on good terms as your now ex-employer could be a valuable resource both as a reference and as a lead towards a new job. Ensure that you exhibit the same professionalism on your last day at the job as you did on your first. It is also important to identify why you lost the job, was it something outside of your control or was it something to do with performance on the job. A brief exit interview with your employer will be able to answer these questions and will offer insight into improvements which will need to be made in the future.
calmIceCream62
July 21st, 2017 7:20pm
Having a job plays a big role in our lives and it can be stressful to lose one or think you might lose one. In this case, there are some things you can't control, so focus on things that you can control. For example, keep working hard and doing your best at work. Also, to take your mind of these worries, spend time doing something you love such as being in the outdoors. Try meditation, prayer or yoga to find inner peace and calm. This will channel your energy elsewhere so you are less worried and stressed overall.
Anonymous
March 31st, 2018 8:39pm
Talk to someone you work with. Find out if there are any areas where you may need to improve. Work on those areas.
Anonymous
May 30th, 2018 5:51pm
Build your own empire or start looking for another job. Have someone help you with your resume and cover letter. Be positive about something better coming in your time of need.
JacoEM
October 5th, 2017 4:27pm
You need to evaluate if the risk comes from something you could be doing differently. If it's a trouble within the company, there's not much you can do about it. If the possibility of losing the job is due to some problems with your boss or colleagues you need to assess if you are willing to do the required changes or if you would rather polish some skills and start looking for a new job.
FancyNoodles
November 6th, 2019 10:12am
I've been attending this career fellowship program and one thing they keep urging us about is showing our interest in the organization. Try to show that you are a really enthusiastic to work with them (your boss/peers). Or you are really excited about that project they assigned you. That way they will see a growing potential in you. You need to convince them that you love your job and that you are having fun doing what they assign you. They will feel much more safer with assigning you their tasks. Show a positive and cheerful behaviour. "Be interested than being interesting".
Anonymous
September 20th, 2020 7:57pm
That is a totally valid concern, especially right now! It's definitely a scary thing to deal with, so good job trying to think ahead! You could try looking for a new job, while still working at your current job, that way you do lose your job you already have some ideas in place. I usually use Indeed mainly, but there are other sites too. There's also a lot of services provided through unemployment, less right now but there is still some helpful info, that could also help you. Depending on your boss situation, whether they are nice or not, you could always try talking to them but that's not possible for everyone. I know that I wouldn't have been able to talk to my last boss about anything like this, so if you can't that's completely understandable!
Anonymous
October 2nd, 2020 11:54pm
Talk with a supervisor about how you can step up your performance and keep your job. Think about how you fit into your role at your place of work and how you can improve within your role. Insecurity in the workplace is common, and almost everyone has experienced this before. However, you can turn to your coworkers for support and suggestions as to how you can maintain your position. Remember to take time to de stress, as being productive at work is easier when your stress levels are lower. Don't worry, talk with someone trustworthy, and you've got this!
miraculousHeart73
March 22nd, 2018 7:20pm
Take a deep breath. You should make a list of reasonable flaws that might be getting you fired soon. After making that list, ask a friend or family member who you trust to go over that list with you. You may not be doing anything wrong, and are just stressed from the recent days. If you do lose your job, there are more opportunities out there waiting for you.
KurtCups711
June 16th, 2018 1:07am
The short answer in this case is start searching for other opportunities to soften the anxiety about losing the job you have. Otherwise I'd say you should speak with your boss and HR. If they confirm your concerns then you're already on the hunt for another position.