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The Survivors

The last year has seen a number of large tech companies lay off large numbers of staff. The list for 2023 includes large companies, like Google (12,000), Amazon (9,000 this time), Microsoft (10,000), and Meta (10,000 this time), but also small companies like Zoom (1,300), Rapid (115), and Roku (200). It's not just tech companies, however, as Disney (7,000), Gap (500), 3M (6,000), and David's Bridal (9,236) are letting people go. There are plenty of other companies who have let people go, which is interesting to me as the economy has grown in the US, though profits were down. It's hard to know whether these layoffs are really important for all these companies or whether these layoffs are management's decision to group their bad news with everyone else's and take advantage of the opportunity to shrink labor costs.

In any case, layoffs are sad and stressful. Certainly, the people being let go are traumatized and I don't want to minimize the impact to their lives, but this can be hard for the survivors as well. This isn't just a Silicon Valley situation, but one that affects many employees all over the world. Whenever there is a large staffing change in an organization, those that remain can be traumatized and unproductive. This is one reason that public companies must notify and disclose layoffs to investors.

This article looks at how some tech company employees react after surviving a layoff, and it reminds me of some of the layoffs I've been through. While I haven't been let go in a layoff, I have had to deal with the aftermath of some friends losing their employment while other friends try to cope. I've felt sad, angry, upset, concerned, frustrated, and more. Even as one of the lucky people that kept their jobs, I found myself unable to cope with the changes on the fateful day and for some time after. I struggled to focus during the next few weeks, while also being stressed as I realized the workload grew unexpectedly. There was still lots of work, but less staff to do it.

Anytime you survive a layoff, I think it's natural to question whether you want to continue working in the same organization. Is business that bad that we need to let people go? Will there be another layoff? Is our leadership actually doing a good job or have they made mistakes by hiring unnecessary people? Am I unnecessary? Are managers appeasing investors who care more about their return or even worried about their own bonuses? All of these thoughts swirl through my head and others' heads as we move forward. I don't want you to feel bad here, but to think about your situation as someone that might get laid off or survive one.

Most of us don't experience layoffs, and if we do, it's not often that these happen. However, they are always possible, which is why I advocate for all of you to keep learning, regularly grow your skills, keep your resume up to date, and be aware of how your organization is operating. It's good to work as if you'll continue in this position (if you enjoy it), but my motto is: hope for the best, plan for the worst.

Of course, if you don't like your job, you should be working to find another one. The best time to find a new job is while you already have one.

Steve Jones - SSC Editor

Join the debate, and respond to today's editorial on the forums

 
  Featured Contents
SQLServerCentral Article

Using the New Open Source SQLCMD to Create Containers

Steve Jones - SSC Editor from SQLServerCentral

See how the new, open-source sqlcmd works with containers to kickstart the development experience.

External Article

How to Automate Cross-Platform Database Development

Additional Articles from Redgate

In order to focus on their primary task of developing databases, the development team need to automate as many as possible of the routine tasks that are essential for database delivery, such as testing, scripting, version control, documentation, code review, reporting and so on. This article gives some advice on how to do it, faced with the added challenge of needing to use several different relational databases.

Technical Article

Mental Health and Wellness Day – 2023

Additional Articles from SQLServerCentral

We are proud and honored to announce DPWIT-Mental Health and Wellness Day, May 5th,2023,

Blog Post

From the SQL Server Central Blogs - Monitor SQL replication subscriptions synchronization status

SQLPals from Mission: SQL Homeostasis

In your current role if you are managing a SQL server replication setup, you are probably well aware that if any of the subscriber is not getting synchronized within...

Blog Post

From the SQL Server Central Blogs - Get your Query History in Redshift

Koen Verbeeck from Koen Verbeeck

Because my Windows machine apparently decides to install updates over night (and thus reboot my machine), it has happened that I lost the query that I was writing for...

Expert Performance Indexing in Azure SQL and SQL Server 2022

Expert Performance Indexing in Azure SQL and SQL Server 2022

Site Owners from SQLServerCentral

Take a deep dive into perhaps the single most important facet of query performance―indexes―and how to best use them. Newly updated for SQL Server 2022 and Azure SQL, this fourth edition includes new guidance and features related to columnstore indexes, improved and consolidated content on Query Store, deeper content around Intelligent Query Processing, and other […]

 

  Question of the Day

Today's question (by Steve Jones - SSC Editor):

 

DOP Feedback and QDS

In order to use DOP feedback in my query processing, what are the Query Data Store (QDS) requirements?

Think you know the answer? Click here, and find out if you are right.

 

 

  Yesterday's Question of the Day (by Steve Jones - SSC Editor)

Stopping Managed Instance

If I stop an Azure SQL Managed Instance, what am I still charged for in my billing?

Answer: Storage only

Explanation: The stop feature is available for Managed Instance (preview in Mar 2023). When an instance is stopped, you are only billed for storage (data and backup), not licensing or vCores. Ref: Stop and start an instance (preview) - Azure SQL Managed Instance - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-sql/managed-instance/instance-stop-start-how-to?view=azuresql&tabs=azure-portal

Discuss this question and answer on the forums

 

 

 

Database Pros Who Need Your Help

Here's a few of the new posts today on the forums. To see more, visit the forums.


SQL Server 2016 - Development and T-SQL
Alternate SQL - In my sql result, I want to create a column called RCount. Condition: For each RecNo, AccNo * If the field Reason is "Accepted", it doesn't matter what other records contain for a specific RecNo, AccNo. It should return 1 for the very first instance of Accepted and ignore the rest. * If more than […]
How do I script the creation of a job to use environments? - I have been googling and googling and I have yet to find a way to check the environment box when configuring an SQL Job using an SSIS package. Specifically, when you configure a step of a job, there is a checkbox to use an Environment as shown in the image attached   I have been […]
Update a row based on MaxDate - Morning all Does anyone know how I can update a table (one row) based on the maxdate of the row? The problem being the id is different for the same item just used multiple times, so all the other rows for the item need to stay the same but the maxdate row needs to change […]
SQL Server 2019 - Administration
Permissions to view SSIS SQL Agent job step - I have a requirement for specific users to view SQL Agent jobs through SSMS. They've been granted the SQLAgentOperatorRole and that works up to a point. However for jobs owned by another login, if the job step is a "SQL Server Integration Services Package" type, when clicking on the "Configuration" tab, the "Connection Managers" and […]
sql server replication Mointoring alert - Hi How to monitor sql server replication i mean there is replication monitor but i wanted to check lag between publisher and subscriber. I mean in log shipping we know how many log files are pending to be applied on dr. In always on its  redo and undo logs which can helps to estimate how […]
SQL SERVER 2019 ... ERROR TO CONNECT WITH A NEW LAPTOP - If I try to connect with a new laptop I receive this error ... (ARCA EVOLUTION SOFTWARE) This error compare also if I try to connect to database with MsExcel please help me to solve ... thks and rgds
Always on Secondary Database - I want tp create a scenario when I perform failover from Node1 to Node2, I want the database to get stuck in Reverting/In Recovery state on Node1 for longer time so that I can control it until I am done with testing. I know this can be done as index maintenance or big chunks of […]
Integrated Authentication showing in ErrorLogs - Login failed for user ''. Reason: An attempt to login using SQL authentication failed. Server is configured for Integrated authentication only   Server info Below: Authentication Mode:  Windows and SQL Server Authentication SPN is correct  
Azure Data Factory
Question: Adding set variable activity output to copy data - In azure data factory I created a lookup for getting the id, place. After that in a foreach I used a webactivity to run the an api to get the formatted_address. I extracted the formated_address through a set variable activity. I want to make a new sql table with the id and the formatted_address. I […]
Reporting Services 2008 Development
Export SSRS Report Data into Multiple Excel Worksheets Not Working - I am trying to Achieve below task Export SQL Server Reporting Services Report Data into Multiple Excel Worksheets https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/3527/export-sql-server-reporting-services-report-data-into-multiple-excel-worksheets/ I doing all the Steps as Specified in URL Still i am not getting the Sheet Names As expected. Could you Please let me know the Reason.  
Connecting
unable to connect to SQL2005 Cluster via instance name with Microsoft Intune pc - We are currently testing a pc deployed and managed using Microsoft Intune. We notice we cannot connect to a clustered SQL Server 2005 instance using the instance name. IMO the problem is that with SQL 2005 the SQLBrowser service always replies using the ip address of the node that hosts the instance. When using the […]
Integration Services
SSIS Package to csv and i have some phantom CRLF - I have a script in the SSIS package that goes to a flat file destination. When I run the script in management studio it runs fine no blank rows. When I use the script in the data flow of my SSIS package it randomly puts a CRLF at the end of a 60 rows and […]
Editorials
Article review timeline - Hi, I have been frequenting this site for a while and I would like to contribute an article regarding a recent project of securing RDS that I helped with. I have submitted an article for review couple of weeks back and I am curious on the timeline when I can get some feedback on it. […]
SQL Server 2022 - Administration
In Place Upgrade of OS and SQL Server - I'm being asked to do an in-place upgrade of both the OS and SQL Server on a physical server. Currently running - Windows Server 2016 Standard SQL Server 2017 Standard Edition (64-bit) Wanting to upgrade to - Windows Server 2022 Standard SQL Server 2022 Standard   Is it recommended to update the OS first or […]
SQL Server 2022 - Development
Export SQL Data Classification Recommendations - Is there a way export Data Classification recommendations as a pdf or text file? Thanks you.  
 

 

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