The Letter Said I “Had to Report
Utilizing One-Stop Career Center
Services to Cope with Job Loss Grief
Federal and State Authority
• On November 24, 1993, the President signed
into law the Unemployment Compensation
Amendments of 1993 (P.L. 103-152) which
added requirements States must meet as a
condition of States receiving UI grants.
• Florida Statutes 443.091(1)(b) requires
claimants to report as directed by the Regional
Workforce Board (RWB).
What is Grief?
• A reaction to a major loss. It is most often an
unhappy and painful emotion.
(http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002497)
• A multi-faceted response to loss, particularly
to the loss of someone or something to which
a bond was formed.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grief)
Elizabeth Kübler-Ross Model
• Swiss American psychiatrist who studied
death and dying
• Developed a model of adjustment, known as
the five stages of grief
• Kübler-Ross’ model has been expanded to
incorporate loss in other areas of the lifespan
Kübler-Ross Model
Five Stages of Grief
Stages of Grief
It is important to recognize:
1. The stages of grief are not sequential, there is
no defined starting point.
2. The stages of grief are not experienced in any
particular order.
3. Everyone may not experience each stage of
grief.
Denial
• A conscious or unconscious refusal to accept
facts, information, reality, etc. relating to the
situation
• A natural defense mechanism
Anger
• May manifest in different ways
– Outbursts
– Blaming behavior
– Detachment from personal relationships
• May be self directed or expressed externally
toward others
Bargaining
• Negotiation, typically with a higher being, for
a better outcome
• Attempt to regain a prior state of homeostasis
or balance that no longer exists
• Rarely provides a sustainable solution
Depression
• May be viewed as a “dress rehearsal” for the
acceptance of the aftermath of the loss
• Experience of emotion such as sadness, fear,
regret, uncertainty, etc.
• Expression of emotion shows the customer
has begun to accept reality
Acceptance
• An indication of some emotional detachment
and objectivity to the loss
• Recognition that the loss has occurred and a
transition to the next steps
• May be viewed as the customer “turning the
page” to write a new beginning
How May Grief Sound?
Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
• “This isn’t
happening
to me.”
• “Who is to
blame?”
• “I’ll will
give away
all those
new suits I
bought
if…”
• “I’m so sad,
why bother
looking for
a job.”
• “It’s going
to be okay.”
• “I’m still
going to
get dressed
and go to
work
tomorrow.”
• “Why me?
It’s not
fair!”
• “Dear God,
I promise if
I get my
job back, I
will never
run late
again.”
• “I’m not
good
enough to
work for
anyone.”
• “I can’t
change
what has
happened
in the past,
I might as
well
prepare for
the future.”
Utilizing One-Stop Services to
Address Job Loss Grief
Early Identification
• Claimants are identified for reemployment
services by the fourth week of their claim
• They are scheduled to report to the One-Stop
no later than the seventh week of their claim
Early Identification
• Use this early selection process to your
benefit
• Provide a thorough orientation to the OneStop and available services
• Focus on reemployment versus discussing the
current unemployed state
Strategies to Cope with Job Loss Grief
1. Acknowledge the claimant’s stage of grief and
validate their feelings
–
Look for verbal and physical cues to let you know
what stage of grief they may currently be in
–
Ask open ended questions
– Allow the claimant to speak openly about how they
perceive their job loss without passing judgment
Strategies to Cope with Job Loss Grief
2. Get them connected to one-stop services that
will help them obtain employment
–
Provide them with an assessment service to gauge
exactly where they stand
– Discuss the assessment results with the claimant to
keep them involved
– Develop a plan to help them move forward
Strategies to Cope with Job Loss Grief
3. Discuss the importance of creating a daily
routine
–
Remind the claimant to treat their job search like
a regular job
•
Wake up early to begin to their job search
•
Commit to their efforts
•
Stay motivated
Strategies to Cope with Job Loss Grief
4. Refer the claimant to take advantage of
networking opportunities
– Refer them to a Social Networking Workshop
– Encourage them to reach out to their existing
contact network
• Family, friends, friends of friends, former roommates or
past associates
Resources
•
Unemployment Job Loss Stress Coping
–
•
Job Transition Manual
–
•
http://www.helpguide.org/life/unemployment_job_loss_stress_coping_tips.htm
http://www.jhu.edu/~hr1/human-serv/JobTransitionManual.pdf
Kübler-Ross Model
–
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCbler-Ross_model