Laid Off: And Scrambling To Save Her Work

"I remember reading about people working in big tech companies who had been there for decades waking up and all of a sudden being locked out and not having access to years of their work."

In today’s issue, we talk to the designer behind the new Laid Off logo on her rainy day fund, being locked out of your laptop, and having to move your car for street cleaning right after being laid off.

I met 28-year-old designer Zoë Gatti through the Laid Off community. After reading through her interview (below), I took a look at her portfolio. I had one of those aha moments like, this is the person who should design our logo.

I knew I wanted a logo that felt joyful and cool and a little unserious because that’s the energy I hope to bring to this space.

Yes, we talk about serious and traumatizing shit. Layoffs suck. There’s nothing joyful about them, but the intention behind the newsletter is to destigmatize an experience a lot of people don’t feel comfortable talking about. That there’s still a lot of shame around.

I want this space to remind people that layoffs aren’t personal. They have nothing to do with how cool and smart and capable you are.

So I reached out to Zoë to help bring this logo to life. I would email her things like “I feel attached to bright green” and “capture an approachable vibe” and a few mock-ups and color schemes later… our logo was born. Isn’t she beautiful?

For context, the original logo was something I threw together in the late hours of the night on Canva. It was… fine. Zoë’s hand-drawn lettering is so sick. I love it so much. And I love that it was designed by someone in this community.

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“I don't necessarily care about climbing the corporate ladder,” Zoë told me. “I just want to work on things I'm passionate about that have a mission I'm aligned with.”

Zoë was laid off last year from her senior designer position at a startup. They cited funding issues.

“So many people are trapped in this oppressive system that is designed to keep you in a box working to stay afloat,” she said, “while the upper income brackets make so much more and are able to decide so much about our futures.”

She shares her experience below, as well as a reminder to always save your work (!!)

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How did they handle layoffs?

I woke up to an email saying my role was impacted. My manager didn't even tell me. The co-founders had a Zoom webinar where they couldn't see us but we could see them and they told us it was our last day and we would be locked out of our laptops by 5pm.

What was the first thing you did after receiving the news?

I saved and downloaded all of my files onto my computer since I'm a designer and needed them for my portfolio. There wasn't any time to spare.

You mentioned having to save and download all your files pretty quickly after being laid off -- what advice would you give to others in case they’re imminently locked out of their work computers after a layoff? 

I would save very often - like weekly or every two weeks. Make sure to save everything before you’re on PTO. It’s worth it to invest in a larger hard drive and just save copies by date or overwrite the older files if you’re tight on space. At the very least, try to save your files monthly, or as soon as you complete a project and don’t anticipate touching that file again so you don’t forget about it. And keep lists of all of the projects you’re working on to make sure nothing slips through the cracks as you’re saving stuff.

I remember reading about people working in big tech companies who had been there for decades waking up and all of a sudden being locked out and not having access to years of their work. This is especially a difficult situation if you work in design since your portfolio is usually the number one thing that people look at in the hiring process. 

How can someone proactively prepare for a potential layoff so they aren't scrambling day of?

Aside from saving work, other things that could be helpful to save often are any documents or Slack/instant messaging screenshots that talk about metrics/outcomes having to do with something that you worked on. Even save shoutouts that people gave you, etc.

Those can be super helpful if you’re locked out all of a sudden so you have something to go off of when you’re updating your resume, portfolio site, etc. It’s overwhelming enough to get laid off, but there are things you can do weekly/monthly to set yourself up for an easier transition back into the job market.

How do you remember to do that? 

At first I just put an event or reminder on my calendar on Friday mornings, and then I just got in the habit of doing it without the reminder. 

Okay, back to the layoff. Did you see it coming?

I didn't see it coming at all. I had a very good performance review two weeks before where I scored really well and my manager told me that I was going above and beyond, which instilled a false sense of security. My manager basically lied to me.

Where were you when you found out?

At home about to log on for the day. I checked my email in the morning as I usually do, saw the subject line "Important Update" from the co-founders, and clicked into the email. Three sentences in, I read the dreaded phrase "your role has been impacted" and my stomach dropped.

Who was the first person you told after getting laid off?

My partner. He was standing next to me. I said "I've been laid off" and had to proceed to move my car for street cleaning which is a really stressful thing in Brooklyn. 

Were you offered severance?

Yes, 2 months of severance and COBRA during that time.

What did you do about health insurance?

I had coverage for two months then had state run health insurance for four months. 

What was your greatest financial concern with the sudden loss of income?

Health insurance, being able to pay for living expenses and not being able to contribute to my emergency/rainy day fund.

Can you speak a bit on your rainy day fund? Do you have a process for contributing to that, and why is it important to have one in this culture of layoffs?

A safety net is essential so you aren’t scrambling if you get laid off, and you aren’t worried about paying your rent/mortgage and essentials to get by. Bills don’t stop when money stops coming in and you don’t want to end up in debt/your credit taking a hit.

I think aiming for at least 6 months of expenses is ideal, but more is always good. I would cut out non-essential expenses (such as eating out and buying new clothing) until you have that emergency fund in place. That’s what I initially did to build my emergency fund, and I recommend putting it in a high-yield savings account. I like the saying “pay yourself first” and it also translates to not just the rainy day fund, but also retirement savings, investments, etc.

Has being laid off changed how you view your relationship to work?

Yes, it showed me that a company is not family. I knew a lot of people said that, but getting laid off so suddenly and abruptly really allowed me to feel that and understand it. It showed me that no matter how much you dedicate yourself to your job, some higher-ups who have never met you (and frankly don't care about you) can make a choice that impacts your entire life and well being. Putting in extra hours and long nights and striving to go above and beyond your role description doesn't protect you from getting laid off. 

The system doesn't need to be this way. It doesn't need to be a rat race. The churn and burnout doesn't need to exist. Instead, we should replace it with compassion for the well being of others and transparency. I think sweeping layoffs can be prevented, and sweeping layoffs are honestly a lazy and inhuman way to deal with larger company issues and poor planning. 

I don't necessarily care about climbing the corporate ladder. I just want to work on things I'm passionate about that have a mission I'm aligned with. So many people are trapped in this oppressive system that is designed to keep you in a box working to stay afloat while the upper income brackets make so much more and are able to decide so much about our futures.

Say you're playing layoff detective. What signs would you be looking out for to predict whether layoffs are coming?

Budget cuts, not talking about future plans, an all hands that's not at a normal all hands time, manager being cold etc.

What advice would you give someone who has just been laid off?

Honestly I don't know how much I know now. All I can say is when you're in a job try to save up as much as you can, and if you're able to, strive for financial independence. A layoff isn't as devastating if you have savings to keep you afloat.

What's something nice a person can do when their friend or peer gets laid off?

Look into their network and see if they can connect me with anyone, show empathy and compassion.

What do you wish people would STOP saying or doing after someone gets laid off?

You'll be back on your feet in no time! Maybe you can get an in person job!

What's something cool you've worked on on since the layoff? Share something you're proud of.

Honestly I'm just really passionate about rock climbing, outdoor bouldering specifically, and I've been working mostly on that in my free time. I just sent my hardest outdoor climb to date, which is a V9 in Squamish, British Columbia. I'm also working on some side projects that involve design and illustration with my partner, who is also an artist and designer.

What's the best way for a designer to get into freelance work after a layoff? What did you do?

Tap into your network. I know this is said often, but it’s super important. Reach out to recruiters you’ve worked with before. Mention you’re looking for work to your friends and family, they might know of someone or at least keep you top of mind. Reaching out to past classmates and colleagues can result in a job referral or them connecting you with someone.

Also, searching for hashtags like #hiring #designer on LinkedIn and Instagram can bring you to less-trafficked posts and you can message that person directly. Working Not Working is a great resource for freelance work and has worked for me. I know Discord and Slack channels exist for jobs, I’m not in any right now but I know they are around. 

Zoë is open for new projects as a brand and visual/product designer.

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Have you ever been laid off? I’m collecting interviews for a future Laid Off Trend Report at this survey. You can answer anonymously.