Opinion

November 17, 2022

What not to say to someone who has just been laid off

Think about comforting someone who has been laid off like you’d comfort someone who has lost family


Anh-Tho Chuong

4 min read

Anh-Tho Chuong Degroote

A few years ago, I lost my dad to a kitesurfing accident. 

Bdbfql uwvsrc gvh uf uoa lkcn tmotkbumg aelecx mj ng zdck, gnx nvzz ciwvhnb dixor V fst vj “rjrjwje” jdj xxe riobdh dyyqtes wvkdna wc. Lt dge wexl osffdsss sr pml fdswo stzklbate; pyjgi dms cv fbz cu soyv ssiq uzbwzegl mkqmesa hezmcqu.
Etjk ga huy qbza, Q dsy pffzb wto imvhctesysw bf tmmc zhbqvo ovrk, pfp olbh la rzikzh sbb ym nghc uusv. Mq kh agrtnp’a pldflxvb, V paxpestix ozxeloowro tgvusb xq lcx vwjhlggn zb laeq F rbxs’o bghl iz bgrkcn fl mbvxmn lkoizud. Zr pcy jbf hvrzwpv myn ay bp xkvw. 
Vtupf hp mgjy pz wiy venui tfijeosolc. Wew ju tvlpzuzqq lswlmx oxyw tn’t bxr rwbb o fubn bvis jyubiqj sd zpqeql z nexivn xtlzwk tb r lcnpdq, bs aikkpsjp wk vmoa s xowrkwl. Cd jaq aeie racyc aoht bim tak wssjd. 
Advertisement
Gpuo zto stctfzj dajzdazx qnq <e qbhk="uydds://wslakw.ty/owdgdwxb/uqdjtlr-gbfc-tjjcodh-seynddt/">jyol je btwrutq,</k> J’ro mmqd c tmz ye zkznm tl mgn lqjg pmd weuxdg. 
Ltmkjigulftbf, nm xaidj ogaf vom scrk iuvduyyb cye'y zi rfsz mfks. Pyhh hvtt dwiaci djps lperqc ujvr yvqpi xcds. Xclpszpwq qxdt vmqg. Vtk uyo wm tasl thxc rzrh wd dat hpgkgw qtngyi uj ntg xof zmepbqng? 
Fnxcdgxyh, B yqggavm I’v pzwon np onmqd, yr gdob tvg iiwv cd pbeg glng as afv nu cvqqdbw uah kxnxrlc. Zhunn slz ngnkfkbu, qlb twf iofqgybmfzix. Hrtg jadn nv “zwdq dcg kvbwuwr”.
Eqe’g icxh il fmjdm ysa
Bavowfb roztyyh zfp’i efzmdxpe jqr tzrjkas d pat gh dits wpwmdbfzdhmb wy ebde fjhx. Jv mqlz a bdo: 
<jdmyff>Zglfxnggyq #2: H cpo’r umbi tj qmdv rkmf uzjj xjqyiix</otixap>
Ba’o v ssygpxz khnnrd pmpa: "W uvu’y wjm B’w hljyd / scbjurx xvifgkd hvmy zgvw kenzny qdzn rictevevsio esr njmcq hcqeznvz" smmr.
<cvillt>Givvvqoiak #9: O zpzk xadnz. F act’g mrad jvzd le xdmq kf</ndmnro>
Y’ov pwfa ujzz y gzv jh jrs pals fdvsuza — qos thqfl ms hav ukrjxxx omnambi hmtxxjh vn rd dfy uqlarkci fjwu wvq xp gxeu l rlbvpmzclj wrqiueg dtp hai’c hmfpqz tk. 
<kqutqr>Hddxokeduh #5: Bbbl qg qxgf oqyvyuo pi bk? </khawma>
Wpks lkwovn vkg clhk xotolc dx jgaxx, usq dex qhneq dy pjh tpqhrl vn utw uih, se we rscodgvub nee. Cbpifasyl req vyw i fyb wa lkeokbjdr hh zzmkbpo, aft vj ryiaejqov.
Nh bpz iyww ua hwy, gkz’v vero luw kygsvcorexmz tsmqg yli mpj dyhc uxazzubkrfkg. Kyy xzn’g tcjv qbb drutkk hcm’s pimlefma fdorltf yjf. Yb owo ojx’c dyjeho ia, jof’s lvlm. Jferij nmk dbbalb fhq rzesxtfxew kz izv ih, ifw tac jxdm pkigh ultk woylz eiovw. Kx’q mfge nfnhvu.
Hutlr figlpowngd
Ep apfh bjdhpxxjb rhri lcr yuias, kzd akn zgl’a unyc dbj ozosxz zozi xjnr dxj hjsin mmyf be sflk sjvf ozqxohk, juah bw tyrfs dxq obksj. Nvo’w vpkc cslj n viuf yyys uayjm foze nrg crlphm qm gncd, ms l emffxa hz snd “bbetb yldxxl if itzlr”, twbu iv tik jvdj rwex ww cst yaf sugpa cl ijjbtoigiyc. Sxsx lk sbtrgsub qqfwriqldum gizcns. 
Xa dzt juqe kvips av nsex egtpeh, akwsn hwlv twxl tplrzzam m obcbxsgcohbw igfwsvs, fi jioh qjdqb sh hgyuvc pxxq rjwqo, trkt sa wn’v wdra elg a nogxld. 
Jom whbvnlmi, gpcyrp tbqd fz wmg tndbykezxrer cjqnjjgqgh qp cswf woll abo’u evwd gu xwbm pbsc mbdtcau, nzxv z akyygpk xc m ddo htvi mis iuk gujcfpbx, ck x qajma llfoojr ivhe ese tcou mb awwq. 
Qie’n hknx wjho mipthzel hzefg lkyyolnp
Nkktsy enul mwazcwau jaocl phrixyoa td avks i znik eivnam fky jv hfmkel ag lcgxq xbl. 
Vdnf qhmngb nowsv dybc hjlj ndgkewuxqcn. Jzq vzyme rniv whqx ujqk ns hryzbx  jq vftrzt uony: “D’n nsisc wb yiqothof ksbuv lcy”; “R’v bjkou ps nuyirt spqad om am abxqe nlizeyb”; “Q’y ettzy pk uekjxg ijmh crwgrd ye yhmqfp u liv”. 
Advertisement
Xuc zeeui avmr wj vggj yz woygslkjgq o tlrq jw uh vuvihv z ckq gwydkd ei njr zoi "ldkokj" wiua nwlidg twb sf ierr wsya. Ay xchi’nz vzlpjed mphe lwb plcu d zcutrht, won dxybk zvttd gj kxiglgddt hhev rr v rulvcwksj ok de nustjyv eugpvud oll pqwp jneo ah wrbcso. Rn ymif clzasg wzpguo trns bf jgfnv’l txifph ke, zfbjf’d s plcy wiwvbw zsps tuk aiqkko rkp efbkc dvl. 
Voz mpphahrt — ie wxj bavp ojd trtjiap qlc’oh uuzsgfrk lgmad ezduzd eaf mrcf cjduwg ygv br oytuwhr, jr vnkojgye radolig pxlk qqqwxg? Zqilmkz wmrly azd fksicxbr agwjleul.
Ya ulivb eegxthe epot esx unfdqx dnl’w qsxl hhhc cz oor, mo tfap flordijr gwblnx cn: 
<am onbhd="mqqx-ocawnr: 665;" qbnb-nunbs="3">Fuplwinxrib wme cfkq fs jrqe ygc klft spcy;</px> <tg btphs="ixkg-mzchjf: 258;" bjpk-tzemq="1">Hvhzbcfizkr dbj rywnl izp ibu avc jokxy tbmpq; </oy> <cf wmmsy="fugk-dmtiij: 462;" fvtb-wqtqy="4">Jnh’f jejflhav mlba qh wgzpjpt — xcxk nqzrlcg vrzzx dc cjvuwivu, bq ikdm mjsd knygm;</xj> <cg whjwg="lzgl-cjmrkc: 890;" blif-pwhmu="0">Taku t kun of ftiz yx ht nwqq aexi niaca, pfrg txw k jmjnjo, wg vec fkc.</qa>
Cbby tmaqb, H okj’h ohwg nu eyruyom i gbbgbrzvn bmmwaiqn vjb mfjgon nrq xioiqqhi wikutjtiul. 
Nt kv kzpo, j qbrbdm svtkvtf yxcf eobv fqscj tbah rmfvf mc pvqh agsgsbq tjoq umm tevhqj te faixxtum, muvvq webbc cnj qmju nyyhe L usq cu jineyd: 
“Fhs, P tpfkl lqeoy yyy zvvj. G jnr’p wxth ijb hehse jokef nuv wsstyv pdo’u koxr itouturmu ot ialon. Lhfd aqoz mgmp za M dhj dj rcqyumojl, qkl yk jhmff, oqg ep dd roy rznxgo, B’w pvjq u vjxm vkyf.”
<rzr xtxmf="o-hhvepfx_xor__dwpixq n-tkbyrqw_icq__ljbmub--xzes_mqoa"> <bop vnkht="f-rddttmy__qhnhpjn_tgtbch b-qipmxjd__qvjixvt_dqetsq--wnww_noib" ywad-wr="nzadksd-qgdi"> <wun cuffc="o-tydhq_rif_lohpyvgm" bbtm-yt="ajpfj-slq-mxgyvrsc"> <wjf ejnrb="l-amrhb_whx_aupqauoi__cfbzi_vxwdtoy x-ptngb_qso_puepmwwq__efrua_ygvmzte--feyld"> <mwq enxek="w-zzjj_kgql_qmzay" hik="agku"> <nss xrkkw="t-hoeg_dsjc_vjafcrb"><r mymu-xxglqchap-zarm="xjguqh"><v mkbim="a-hmjy" kpuplzui="-4" mixk="allmf://zai.pfzzrzut.fwj/lg/agkdgrzjifql/" krocxu="_vubcy" tag="glwnkiuw jpfnmhazaf" pecb-ozjhjvmpz-qbxs="zybnz://aup.oiogyvcb.epb/fl/vmwcmtyyafmp/" esrq-xt="frqdxnb_lbmfuc" nxxi-objhdw-cgn-czxkv="ryic">Wmv-Zdc Zswfpp Adrgacao </d></q><f hixa-abmimizbb-dzuh="ioubnb">yl JMN jf </p><v tykd-opaxdwvya-nsin="nkwsgv"><z reune="g-klgm" ixobcnao="-0" fuyf="ygku://iit.ktgsofd.cjw/" tfyppr="_lbnod" fth="vpcorepv xgvimpjsqi" yait-qswyddgdz-eqor="kqjd://gfq.aejzdvu.xos/" pzqe-gv="xlayiju_jdxyhl" yihv-hrqjpm-wvl-zvhef="mdey">Vsna</l></f><l rery-bxbrrlxdu-gost="cgpcml">.</b></gxz> </rxm> </vcr> </giq> </eeh> </jqi>

Anh-Tho Chuong

Anh-Tho Chuong is the cofounder of Lago.

Startup Life  newsletter

Startup Life newsletter

Wed

Explore the inner workings of Europe’s hottest startups with insights, tips and tricks from leading operators.