Healing the Wounds: Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs and Revitalizing Downsized Organizations

5.11. Resentment over Being Made to Feel Guilty

The headquarters administrative group expressed two themes that did not come out in the earlier study: resentment over being told to be thankful they had a job and a perception that being positive was countercultural:

• "I get angry when I get out on the line and I hear management and [human resources] saying to their employees, 'You're just damned lucky you have a job. Go away and quit complaining.'" (headquarters administrative employee)

• "[They say], 'Don't complain. You're lucky you have a job.'" (administrative employee)

• "It gets difficult to just come in and say, or for managers to say, 'You're lucky you have a job.' It's more difficult for me to even feel that I am one of the lucky ones. I'm ...