The Unexpected Perks of Surviving a Mass Layoff

There have been tons of reports out there about the life in the office after surviving a mass layoff.  Almost all of them are the downsides to it even though you still have a regular paycheck – depression, missing your fallen comrades, more frustration, pay cuts, heavier workload, mounting stress, a worsening work/life balance, low morale, sitting in a cubicle graveyard.

What they don’t tell you is that there are also some unexpected perks.  Take the story of my good friend for example.  He & I worked together at my Former Company and is still there.  While he is kind of bummed out that a bunch of his favorite coworkers are no longer there – people who were laid off, had to retire early or just jumped off the sinking ship on their own – he found something to give him a little solace in it all.

Last Friday – when the last of the retirees and laid off folks left the office after their Peace Out Lunch, those few remaining in the office made like vultures and picked up the good office supplies and assets left behind.

The office holds half of the people it used to – so they definitely had their pick.  Personal printers, better monitors, and scanners were some of the gems they found.

My friend though, got the best of them all – a leather chair that once belonged to our Senior Vice President.  Bad-ass!