20 Ways to Come Through When Someone You Love (or Even Just Like) Loses a Job

Nice as it is to hear about indications that the economy turning around, the layoffs aren’t over yet. You’ve probably just heard that yet another colleague, friend, neighbor, congregant, teammate got the ax—or you will soon. If you’ve been there, you know how isolating and demoralizing it can be, even now that joblessness is more norm than humiliation, more zeitgeist than badge of shame. (And if you haven’t been there, you’d best watch your karma. Carefully.)

How well you’re acquainted with said laid-off person (and under what circumstances) will inform how you proceed, of course. (Read 6 Things You Shouldn’t Say to the Newly Laid-off.) But some things never change—like the power of a reachout, a simple favor, and a sympathetic ear.

1. Be there. Call. Write. Do not be MIA, do not put off getting in touch, do not submit to the ewww factor, however tempting it may be.
2. Ask what happened—in a way that doesn’t sound like you have a case of schadenfreude. Most people want to share the gory details, and they may need to find their narrative of What Just Happened.
3. Listen.
4. Be present. Stay sensitive to touchy-subject vibes, obviously, but for now it’s probably better to err on the side of active (though not necessarily moist) concern…