When one's job is secured, there is a feeling that a major problem has passed, but new difficulties can arise in the current labor market. It is unknown who is leaving and for what reason, but consider the situation of an employee who avoided layoffs but is now forced to take on more responsibilities, as refusing to do so risks losing their job.
Recently, a post went viral on social media in which a person described that although they were not affected by layoffs at the company, the workload on them significantly increased afterward. Although the worry about job loss disappeared, the growing work pressure negatively affects their mental state. Among IT sector employees experiencing a wave of layoffs, a new question is arising: are employees whose positions have been saved forced to do the work of their colleagues?
In the viral post, the employee stated that their company laid off two specialists to reduce costs: a scrum master and a senior developer. After these two people left, their duties were transferred to other team members. According to the post, the scrum master's tasks were assigned to one of the senior staff, and the senior developer's responsibility was taken over by the technical lead. Thus, the company lost two people, but the volume of work remained the same, and now this work must be done by those who already had their own duties.
For an employee, keeping their job can be a great relief. However, if the workload increases afterward, the problem takes on a different character. On one hand, it is necessary to complete current tasks on time, and on the other hand, to monitor the projects of those who previously held other positions. As a result, employees face an increased risk of overload. When there is anxiety about job stability, it is difficult to criticize additional responsibilities. Nevertheless, the situation is not the same in all companies; this post suggests a possible fifty percent increase in workload, but this is only a statement made by this employee and cannot be considered indicative of the entire IT sector.
During company layoffs, the initial concern is about the fate of the laid-off employees. However, it is extremely important to pay attention to the situation of those who remain employed. After the reduction in team size, task distribution may change, and the duties of current employees may increase. If additional responsibility is not accompanied by sufficient time and resources, it becomes difficult for employees to maintain a work-life balance. This is why layoffs should not be judged solely by the number of people laid off; it is also necessary to analyze how it affects those who remain in the company.