When many layoffs breed discontent it’s time to try coaching – Mary T. O’Sullivan

By Mary T. O’Sullivan, MSOL, contributing writer

Right now, massive layoffs are occurring across [federal agencies] nationwide and leaving [their] organizations, teams, and leaders at every level to manage the lasting impact. – Ragan Training

Since the beginning of 2025, thousands of federal workers have been fired as a result of the White House’s movement to reduce government fraud, waste, and abuse. While this effort is generally considered a noble cause, it has directly targeted the people who make these agencies work. The resulting trauma impacts the laid off workers, their co-workers left behind, and has a ripple effect on local businesses such as eateries, gas stations, retail operators, caterers, dry cleaners, shoe repair shops, etc.  Morale sinks both within and outside the entity laying off people as well as local business leaders. The danger of an economic recession looms. So does the specter of personal devastation.

Organizational leadership has addressed this phenomenon through the years, with multiple university and scholarly studies, originating when GTE fired 17,000 people in the late 1980s. The focus was on maintaining productivity and improving morale, as well as ameliorating “survivors’ guilt”, for the workers left behind. But what to do with the laid off people who held great resentment and anger against the company? The uncertainty and mental stress caused by the layoffs needed to be addressed. In many cases, laid off workers are offered a severance package, often including professional coaching.

Considering the number of people recently let go from the US Federal Government, the shock and distress caused by separation from their jobs is widespread. While the dollars associated with these “savings”, comprised of salaries and benefits, are less than 1% of the total federal budget, the pain and misery these people experience is 100% of their lives now. This is the time for coaching to be offered to or sought by these employees. Coaching can help laid off workers regain their sense of dignity and confidence, well-being, and safety, while also helping remaining workers to acquire much needed coping skills to face the dramatic changes in the workplace.

Before addressing interview skills, resume writing or networking techniques, traumatized workers need to develop trust with an objective third party who will remind them of their value and positive impact. Laid off workers often feel defeated and degraded. The job of the coach is to reframe their experience and negative mindset by allowing them to lean into the pain, while exploring possibilities by asking (‘what else?”), and focusing on the future. After a layoff, people need time to process and manage their feelings, often just needing to vent. Effective, active listening is one of a coach’s greatest skills. Reframing the worker’s words and feelings often have an enlightening effect on the coachee, allowing them to view their situation through different eyes.

Coaching after a layoff is not a quick process. Before a person can feel up to new job exploration or informational interviews, their spirit needs to be rebuilt. They need to be steered away from self-loathing or self-blame. It’s not their fault new management made the layoff decision. Without the right encouragement from a trained professional coach, dire consequences could befall some people. “When you have a purpose in life and you found your thing, and then all of a sudden it’s being destroyed — you lose all hope,” [a] suicide prevention manager said…” regarding recent federal layoffs.

NBC News interviewed 20 laid off federal workers. In these interviews, “federal workers — many of whom are veterans — told of overwhelming stress, personal crises, suicidal ideation, rapid weight loss, prolonged lack of sleep, panic attacks and visiting the emergency room after a mental breakdown.” In the case of these recent firings, the pain is exacerbated by nasty-grams from an uninformed boss who knows nothing about dealing with people. Workers have had to endure unfortunate emails and texts full of insults, calling them “lazy”, claiming that they, themselves, are a “source of waste and fraud”, and that “they don’t bother to come to the office.” And as if to add salt to their wounds, veterans in particular are incensed that two men who never wore the uniform feel free to denigrate them and their work, including posting degrading memes online.

NBC goes on to quote a veteran who was let go. “The employee said he and colleagues felt unspeakable frustration and anger after relentless mocking by [the boss] that was supported by [another major decision maker], who he said appeared to be delighting in the distress of his own workforce.”

Often, this type of dehumanization comes with extensive layoffs. When they show up in the coach’s office deflated and stone faced, with egos shattered, there is much work to be done. Some workers appear as though they have been in a war, some are incredulous, and some are angry and defensive. Several have been diagnosed with PTSD. It’s a lot to work through, and it takes around six months for those people to right themselves enough to move on or at least see any light.

The recent federal layoffs have caused significant distress, leaving many former federal employees grappling with uncertainty, financial strain, and a loss of professional identity. Professional coaching is the perfect fit for those who are feeling particularly distressed and hopeless. As a valued partner, a professional coach gives these employees crucial emotional stability. A good coach helps these deflated employees to process the significant mental and emotional impact of job loss, helps them to rebuild resilience, as well as to regain their crushed confidence. By working strategies to manage stress, maintain a positive mindset, and set realistic goals, coaches empower laid-off workers to approach their new reality with fresh clarity and determination. In this way, the most important aspect of professional coaching is ensuring that emotional well-being is prioritized over plunging into job searches, enabling individuals to envision their lives without their previous job, and regain a sense of  restored mental strength and move ahead with clearer, more focused thinking.

“You’re just kind of a pawn in a much bigger struggle…” – Associated Press

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Mary T. O’Sullivan, Master of Science, Organizational Leadership, International Coaching Federation Professional Certified Coach, Society of Human Resource Management, “Senior Certified Professional. Graduate Certificate in Executive and Professional Career Coaching, University of Texas at Dallas.

Member, Beta Gamma Sigma, the International Honor Society.

Advanced Studies in Education from Montclair University, SUNY Oswego and Syracuse University.

Mary is also a certified Six Sigma Specialist, Contract Specialist, IPT Leader and holds a Certificate in Essentials of Human Resource Management from SHRM.