In this thread, I didn't lose my job

ITT we are glad you are still employed.

Also, ITT you need whiskey instead of those silly mimosas.

Laying people off sucks, it never gets easier. Don't let it eat you up though.

Tonight is much better. Yesterday was hell.

And yeah, I couldn't focus at work, so lots of BT breaks. I told my boss straight out to expect an adjustment period.

If you work late and get home in the AM I would highly suggest some Bailys or Khalua to settle your nerves    Glad you still have a job and just give yourself time.

It is referred to as survivor guilt and when my company did a huge lay off years ago, they actually offered counseling for those who remained in order to help them deal with the emotions.

kinda on a different wave length but it must really suck to have to be the one to fire somebody. I dont think I coudl do it.

Firing someone is never pleasant, regardless of the circumstance (well, someone who's a complete d-bag may be one pleasant firing circumstance...maybe).  I've only had to fire one person, and I cried after they were gone.

I've had to lay off 15 people in the last year, and yes, it really, really sucks. It especailly sucks when they start crying. The worst is when I've laid off people from the Philipines, and I know what they are going home to...

I've been through almost this exact same situation twice now, and it sucks. Some of the people who they got rid of were hard workers, came in and worked as a team, but because of disabilities, race, and tenure the lazy do nothings in the company survive and some of my hardest workers that work under me were terminated. It, pisses me off to no end even months after the fact and when your only morale boosting (after not getting raises, getting worked like a friggin dog, not being able to use you vacation days when you want to, etc) saying that keeps you sane is that at least your employed, it sucks! Maybe, people have pride or whatever but have no clue how many times a manger has told me that at least we all have a job, at least were not in the employment line, and for whatever reason it doesn't resonate with me. When, you've been with a company for 10 years and you have people that you work together with 40 + hrs a week and you have a trust with those people, and repour and they keep these lazy tenured sacks of garbage it pees me off! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! I have not had a check under 40 + hrs of overtime and haven't had a weekend off except for two in over 6 months working 1500 to 0200 almost every night 6 days a week. Truly have reached a breaking point. Sorry for hijacking your thread but this last layoff that my company had I truly haven't taken it well. Work in a small company also, and some of these ppl are like family, and it truly rips your heart out.

Wow, Thomas, I thought *my* company sucked! I whined about my company for a looooooong time, then this past new year's decided that screw them, I wasn't gonna let them give me ulcers, and I decided to like my job. Made life a whole lot better...for about three weeks. *sigh*

Now I'm just looking for ways to not go insane. I live alone, I now work alone, and I have very limited social life due to working nights and living way out in the country. I think I'm gonna become a hermit...

Trust me I know what your saying about making promises to yourself over and over to not let it get to you, but it's hard. This last year has been horrendous! Made the same promise on New Years lol and now I just made a rant to a bunch of anonymous ppl on a message board. LOL No one else since they made layoffs has even gone an inch out of there comfort zone except for maybe three people and we are worked into oblivion! Tried to do the exact same thing as you, and not let it get to me, just try and settle into regular work flow, even play the whiny employee, etc but I have not been able to do it. Had it somewhat nice on first shift for about a year until they threw me on second shift after the layoffs, just because I don't have kids, or family, etc. and now I find myself thinking about nothing else except cashing out my 401 k selling my house, or letting it get foreclosed on and moving somewhere else! I feel like my entire life right now is breaking my back for a bunch of greedy owners, and I have nowhere else to go as no college, and no other jobs anywhere. Feel underwater anymore because I do have a mortgage and debts, and I truly have no enjoyment in what I do anymore.  I've been at this company my entire adult life, and know when the company is doing good and bad, and these layoffs and the wage freezes are more of being able to boosting there pocketbooks then keeping the company afloat and that is what I cannot get over. Have absolutely no life anymore and not seeing any signs of it getting much better. The good is that i'm pretty much cemented and recession proof as who else is going to manage 2nd shift, or work 2nd shift. No one else will. Make hand over fist on OT, which is nice, and I have a job? But the negatives are that I hate working every stinking day of my life, and I like 75 % of my coworkers, but that 25 % I hate more than anything! Always was a down to earth guy but working too much find myself punching doors, staring off into space, and looking at travel brochures 24/7. BTW - this has been eating me up for months and finally had a thread to unload it on. Complaining would prolly better be spent on talking to Doc and getting a Zoloft Script lol, but I've just become miserable and cannot wait till this spring to get back outside. Kinda funny had a thread on second shift not to long ago and some people said that they loved it and have tried everything that the very positive ppl have said and I haven't even been able to come close to duplicating there results!