When your job is in danger, you’ll know it. You’ll see (and feel) it long before the official dismissal. But how do you know if it’s all in your head or something you need to be concerned about?
Here are 7 signs that your job might be in danger:
1. You’re given fewer projects or you’re given dead-end projects
This is an early warning sign that the company is preparing to get rid of you. If your workload starts looker smaller, be wary. Of course if the company is rebranding or restructuring, workloads might be smaller while they try to figure out their way forward. Look at your colleagues. If they still have normal workloads while you don’t, you might be on the chopping block.
2. You’re not invited to meetings that concern your work
This is a very minor sign that could mean your job is in danger or just that you were overlooked. Sometimes meetings are held without those who need to be in the meetings. It can be human error so just weigh this one with the other things on this list.
3. Management seems to have disappeared
This happened to me when I was about to be laid off and it was hilarious to me. I worked remotely and my manager- who was often not available- was somehow even LESS available during the period when I knew that I was going to be laid off at some point. Managers sometimes feel awkward about this so they’d try to avoid you.
4. You’re asked to train someone on what you do
Be very very wary of this. If you’re training someone and management hasn’t discussed you taking on a senior role, they might be trying to pass off your responsibilities to someone else.
5. You’re handing off your work to someone else
This is different from the above because in this case, you will be asked to draw up a specific handover document or a document detailing everything you do. This is to help the person who takes your duties.
6. You’re doing less work
During a round of layoffs at my friend’s company, her workload got so small that we were able to meet for lunch weekly. Since we hadn’t seen each other in years, we made the most of the opportunity but this was a glaring sign that a layoff was looming for her.
7. Your performance reviews are increasingly negative
This could be a sign that 1) you’re doing really badly at your job (in which case there should be a performance plan put in place to help you improve) or 2) you’re just not meeting the expectations that the business has for you. Sometimes businesses and employees just don’t match. It’s no one’s fault. But if you’re getting increasingly negative performance reviews along with a few other items on this list, you might be headed for a dismissal.
While it can be scary to think about losing your job, spotting these signs early ensures that you’re able to make a back-up plan whether this is adjusting your expenses or looking for another job.