#anxiety

Companies are now hinting at future layoffs without providing specific details, causing anxiety and uncertainty among employees. This approach differs from traditional methods where employees are informed on their last day. Experts suggest this strategy may be an attempt to appease investors and potentially encourage some employees to leave voluntarily. However, this can lead to decreased productivity and increased stress for the remaining workforce. Employees are advised to consider exploring new opportunities due to the prolonged period of uncertainty.

New York, New York

https://www.cnbc.com/make-it/2026/10/16/company-layoffs-ahead-worker-anxiety.html

not a single thing I've read here is confirmed or verifiable information. everything is speculation. E.g. we don't even know for sure if there will be 2 rounds of layoffs. focus on what we know, speak with your leadership, and stop reading this anonymous forum!!! it's not healthy!!! focus on more productive activities.

On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being extremely anxious, how worried are you heading into next week given everything going on with layoffs at Optum?

University of Wisconsin-Madison's biology departments have merged, leading to staff concerns about job security and the future of botany. Employees expressed worries about increased workloads, lack of support, and potential marginalization of botanical studies. Some former staff cited negative interactions with a department administrator as a reason for departure. The university acknowledges staff desire for greater input and community building. Despite these issues, leadership aims to foster collaboration and maintain academic programs.

Madison, Wisconsin

https://www.dailycardinal.com/article/2026/10/uw-madison-biology-merger-raises-staff-concerns-over-layoffs-botanys-future

Will it be a little or a lot? Nobody knows except they will get sc--wed. Fire Enrique today.

Like it never stops, a bit here, a bit there, a bit this week, a bit next week. Then a massive one, and the cycle continues. It kind of feels like this? I find myself spending a ton of time on this website and it surely does not feel like I'll be able to peel off as every week some radical sh-t hits the fan. Not sure.

it's so frustrating, humans need stability to be productive and this is so crazy right now. i know it'll be over soon but rest assured they will come up with something even worse and we'll have to worry again. it looks like the entire economy is in this space right now, even the companies that are valued in trillions are doing the same thing.

i am not sure that this is how life should be lived. sometimes i feel i should have started a business of my own from the get go, no matter how good or bad it would turn out to be - at least i'd be sane.

I've been on the team for years and Im worried that I wasted all my time building my career at usaa which is not preparing me for whats next.

Like, i've learned how to work at usaa and within the organization. But my big fear is that marketing has moved so fast that my expertise won't translate outside anymore.

I was in a couple of outside interviews and it feels so different than it did 5 years ago. Im looking online and AI has made marketing so fast i just feel stuck. Like I am paralyzed at the speed and I need to grow but I can't grow where I am at. I feel like we give usaa everything and in return, we stay the same while the market moves.

Part of me knows i need to keep learning and adapting and building skills outside of usaa. But how? Usaa demands so much and even if i go to a conference or take a course, its not the same as knowing how to do it and having actually done it.

For the first time, i feel like my career security is the worst its ever been. Lots of people i worked with had taken job title cuts from director and lead to sr and below.

Im just venting and afraid that I trapped myself by staying at usaa.

Has it started? No meeting or call for me. Praying for the golden ticket!

This re--rd CEO can’t even lay people off properly. He is just creating anxiety and completely destroying productivity within the teams. I’ve never seen a CEO this bad and I’ve worked at 4 different Fortune 100 companies in the last 21 years.

Hey everyone. Like many in financial services right now, the year-end anxiety is real (especially with earnings looking rough and whispers of a Q4 purge). I’m trying to game-plan my benefits and coverage without tipping my hand to HR or putting myself on their radar. Today's JPM results even makes it dicey.

Open enrollment for 2027 is right around the corner. If I get cut by year-end, what actually happens if I go through open enrollment now and fund an FSA for next year?

I have a few specific questions for those who have actually been through this:

Open Enrollment & Severance: If I elect coverage for 2027 during open enrollment and select an FSA, but get let go in December, does that company-backed election stick for 2027, or does it vanish when employment terminates? I’ve heard mixed things about "20 weeks of premium" or how severance handles it.

The Open Market Trap: If severance pays out normally (MD says 2 weeks/year is still ON for normal layoffs), my income for the year will spike way above any ACA subsidy thresholds, leaving me vulnerable if I have to buy full-price on the open market.

Spousal Backup Plan: I'm considering preemptively moving to my spouse's part-time employer HMO plan during their open enrollment. It’s restrictive (narrow network, bad dr-g tier, no dental), but it offers a safety net.

If you’ve survived or lived through a banking/corporate layoff right around Q4, how did you handle this? Did you trust the internal open enrollment, or jump ship to a spouse's plan immediately? Any concrete insights would be massively appreciated.

No job is truly safe from this. Not a single one. Doesn’t matter the skills you posses or knowledge. If you think you're an exception, you might be in for a rude awakening.

Knowing layoffs are coming and having to wait for it to happen is pure torture. I'm barely getting any sleep and my productivity has plummeted. I wish it could already be over.

When did we go from an occasional layoff to having to worry about them 24/7?

Many companies are now announcing upcoming layoffs but are not providing details on who will be affected or when. This lack of information leaves employees in a state of prolonged uncertainty and anxiety. Workers are left to speculate about their job security for weeks or even months. This approach creates significant stress for the workforce. The exact timing and individuals impacted remain unknown.

New York, New York

https://www.wsj.com/business/corporate-layoff-announcements-workers-e37e0546

Worker anxiety about job security and finding new employment is contributing to a significant decrease in labor market churn. This heightened concern, coupled with weakening labor demand, has led to fewer job openings and a reluctance among employees to quit their current positions. Consequently, the rate of job-to-job transitions has declined, impacting wage growth and overall economic productivity. This trend suggests a less dynamic labor market, potentially making it more vulnerable to future economic shocks.

United States

https://www.atlantafed.org/research-and-data/publications/policy-hub-macroblog/2026/10/06/rising-labor-market-anxiety-and-declining-quits

I am panicking

I'm worried I might have been a bit too honest.

I've been here for five months and my pay is among the lowest. I'm assuming I'm not exactly the type of employee they'll be targeting? Or am I wrong?

For decades I enjoyed my job and was ranked well. Then they flipped a switch when I hit my mid 40s and started dropping my ranking. Now I dread work and am looking for a new job. I can’t sleep any more and it is really impacting my health. I don’t think they realize what it does to someone when you tell them they are a low performer and then can’t give any real reason. People are wired to recognize when they are not being treated fairly.

More cuts?

lol! Is anyone even surprised by this anymore? Doesn’t feel real that we are constantly in this state of fight or flight

I have to wait 15+ months to get to no longer feel like I might be laid off? That's a very long time. May be a new record. So excited to hold my breath until January 2028, thanks Elliott.

Employees at The Coalition are experiencing heightened anxiety regarding potential layoffs following recent developments. The studio has been working diligently on the upcoming game, Gears of War: E-Day. Despite nearing completion of this key project, a somber mood has settled over the team. The recent dismissal of the narrative director just weeks before release has further fueled these concerns. This uncertainty contrasts with their previous sense of security on a major Xbox title.

Redmond, Washington

https://ixbt.games/en/news/2026/10/01/439550-vmesto-prazdnovaniia-reliza-gears-of-war-e-day-sotrudniki-the-coalition-opasaiutsia-uvolnenii.html

Oracle UK employee.

I have an offer to leave. I have anxiety about handing my notice in.

Convince me

I don’t think I can survive this round

I know everybody is saying it's over for now, but I can't help but stress over it. The layoffs caught me by surprise (I know, that's my own fault), so now I guess I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Any info on the next round? I hate holding my breath every year when it starts happening. Just me?

How much longer do we need to wait? Just get over with it fu--ing sadists.

Already stressing but need to know when I need to REALLY start stressing

I hope that anyone who has anxiety or stress about the possibility of being laid off or being “percented” finds peace. This company is failing and desperate to satisfy investors. It really isn’t you, it’s bp. Leadership has failed. If you are let go, it will su-k and it won’t feel good. But you’re smart, you’re talented, and you’re experienced. You’ve got this. Go out there and get it. <3

I know I need to leave this place, but I have no idea when I'll finally get the chance.

The AD was shaking, voice weard, eyes blinking when talking about the Pulse, going to crash under the loads.

Still at Oracle.

Layoffs galore.

This board always follow the same pattern: anxiety before the event, urgency during notifications, this is followed by anger, disappointment, uncertainty. Sometimes there is some relief afterwards.

Cannot change the beast. Oracle will Oracle, there will be layoffs again.

Count our blessings, enjoy your work if you can, if you cannot try to find something else. I've had it and I am looking around - this round sealed it for me.

Good luck all...

I have never seen Halliburton do a layoff every week. Shannon and Jeff up there are destroying lives and going to sleep peacefully. How evil is that? They are getting rid of people in the name of cost savings blaming it on the war, can anyone explain how they decide who leaves? I’ve seen people who have done well performance still get laid off. The rest of the year is going to be anxiety effing riddle. Eff you j and s

I need this job. I have a chronic disease and I can't afford being without either income or medical. Having to worry about more layoffs every single day has been only making me feel worse. It's not humane to expect us to deal with so much stress all the time. Is there even a small chance we'll go back to occasional layoffs instead of this constant threat of cuts any time soon?

Everyone is so on edge lately and it’s honestly becoming exhausting to be around. Every little thing turns into a complaint or a conversation about how bad things are, how they can’t get their work done, how they don’t have what they need, how leadership is doing this or that

And I get it. People are worried. There’s a lot of uncertainty and nobody really knows what’s coming next. But at the same time, we still have jobs to do. It’s getting to the point where people are complaining about not being able to do their jobs while also spending half their time complaining about everything going on.

You can literally feel the anxiety in every meeting. Someone mentions a change or sends an email and suddenly everyone is trying to figure out what it something means

I’m not saying people shouldn’t be concerned, because obviously there are legitimate reasons to be but the constant doom and complaining is getting really old. It’s making an already stressful situation even more miserable

How many layoffs have we survived just in the last three years? I lost count. I'm not even joking. Every single round takes a major toll on our mental and in some cases physical health. So much stressing, so much anxiety is not good for any of us, and we have to go through it basically all the time. It's inhumane.

I hate what Teradata has become, expecting us to work 12-14 hour days to meet unrealistic expectations.. we can’t sleep, we can’t eat, we can’t spend time with our families. There is no work-life balance here