Part of preparing well for a termination also includes preparing for a phase of sadness and anger. “A dismissal is so drastic that it actually always has psychological consequences,” says Cornelius König, professor of work psychology at Saarland University. Those affected can fall into a mental hole, into depressive moods and apathy. “However, I have also experienced cases in which the dismissal was experienced as a liberation,” reports the psychologist Frey. It is important to first accept your feelings, not to act impulsively and to seek support from your personal environment.
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Many people try to reduce the shock of a termination by not accepting it without complaint, but by expressing criticism in the final conversation. Whether this is wise depends primarily on whether you see a future in the company or industry – and also whether the amount of the severance payment has already been clarified. “If in doubt, you will do more harm than good,” says Bredeck. For Frey, however, saying goodbye according to his own rules can definitely help him to deal with this change better. It is okay to mention critical points very objectively. “It doesn’t have to be associated with an accusation.” And the psychologist König adds: “You just shouldn’t expect that criticism of the termination will lead to the termination being revoked.”