Former HR employee reveals the 23 subtle signs your company is preparing for layoffs

In an uncertain and fluctuating economy, job security is one of the many worries facing people today. Getting laid off can be emotionally exhausting, and the situation sometimes is downright scary.

In an important r/careeradvice Reddit thread titled, "Former HR here - subtle signs your company is preparing for layoffs," a former HR employee offered some excellent career advice about navigating potential layoffs. The OP outlined the different cues that can suggest inevitable layoffs coming in the future for your company.

Preparing for an interview.Photo credit Canva

Early warning Signs for potential layoffs

The warning signs that signal future layoffs usually appear pretty early. Clues to potential layoffs beginning in as few as three to six months might be:

• Discretionary spending freezes
• Training and development budgets disappear
• Frozen merit and bonus plans
• The culture and messaging switch to more family and team-based due to tanking morale
• Office consolidation
• A general feeling that leadership is trying to control the narrative

A 2025 article in U.S. News and World Report offered valuable clues like top executives leaving the company, employees who leave the company not being replaced, and meetings feeling more somber.

Medium-term signs for potential layoffs

These things might begin to appear when layoffs are only a few months away:

• Managers act weird during one-to-ones—avoiding eye contact, vague about future planning, not fighting for resources, seeming stressed or even checked out
• Cross-functional projects are disorganized—multiple team projects are canceled or lose steam, combining and shuffling teams in weird and unproductive ways
• Senior people leave or aren't replaced—VPs get taken off the project or their role gets absorbed, "executives often see the writing on the wall and decide to jump ship"
• HR schedules random meetings—random employee check-ins, increased focus on documentation, anonymous surveys about role clarity and organizational effectiveness
• Desperate financial moves—the company takes on debt or seeks additional funding, selling assets to raise cash, delaying payments to vendors, or making late payments on bills

Business people discussing problems.Photo credit Canva

Immediate red flags to potential layoffs

With potential layoffs beginning as soon as two to four weeks, these warning signs should put you on high alert:

• Expectations to document things in detail
• Managers having mysterious meetings not scheduled on the calendar
• HR blocks calendar time as private (that's a layoff day)
• IT asks questions about access and notice permissions
• Conference rooms are blocked
• The parking lot is full earlier than usual, suggesting leadership arrives early to prepare and coordinate

A 2025 article in Times & Careers suggested increased workload, job redistribution, unusual behavior from management, leadership changes, budget cuts, and overall poor company performance as strong indicators for impending layoffs.

The final 48 hours

In the last days before layoffs, it should probably be pretty clear that things have not been going well. Clues that it's beginning can be:

• Executives all in the office on the same day, even when they're usually remote
• Coworkers disappearing into conference rooms
• Email access is acting weird
• VPN connections are dropping
• Badge access is not working
• Your manager asks for a quick calendar invite without context

A 2024 article in The Customer Success Café newsletter shared that glaring clues for a layoff can be hiring freezes, program eliminations, company restructuring, investments without details, and leadership changes.

A group business meeting analyzing figures.Photo credit Canva

A call for action to best protect yourself

1. Reality check—Even when a company plans layoffs, not everybody is getting terminated. Is this your own anxiety and insecurity, or is there a real basis for concern?
2. Examine your personal finances—Review income and spending patterns, consider canceling subscriptions, and start eating at home and dining out less.
3. Emergency fund—Do you have one, and can you add to it? Start lowering payments towards debts to help build a bigger cash stockpile.
4. Employee benefits—There is federal and state assistance available. Being prepared can help you file sooner to get money quicker.
5. Reconnect and check your network—It's time to reach out to old friends and contacts and search through your LinkedIn connections.
6. Resume update—Start working on your resume and LinkedIn profile to make sure it's up to date and looking good.
7. Side hustles can help—Adding new revenue streams is a plus. Consider freelance work, but first check with a financial advisor on how this side hustle money can impact unemployment benefits.
8. Career Coach—Some therapists and coaches can help manage emotional stress and develop a plan to better navigate a layoff.
9. Self-care—Getting laid off can be extremely stressful and the anxiety and fear surrounding it can be unpleasant emotions to navigate. Learning how to better manage these emotions is important.
10. Be open to new possibilities—This is an opportunity to switch careers or contemplate retirement. If you're forced to make a change, try to see the situation as a moment to take advantage.

"In situations where there are potential layoffs, the best strategy for an employee would be the incorporation of emotional grounding and planning. First, it is important to focus on documentation and clarity. You would need to ensure that you have documentation of your performance reviews, your job description, and written communications regarding your position. This becomes essential if the termination gives rise to potential litigation regarding whether the termination was legal.

Second, assess your financial needs and support system. As an employee, one feels powerless during a potential layoff situation. Knowing your financial runway, as well as your financial support system, such as unemployment benefits, helps alleviate your fear and makes it easier to decide what to do.

Finally, keep up the professionalism and the good work. Workers who are uncertain sometimes tend to disengage, but staying involved leaves you options. In case the layoff actually occurs, the employee needs to be aware that there are some matters regarding the last paycheck that are not up for negotiation, possibly some issues relating to the WARN Act, and that they can negotiate the severance package."

You can watch this video by career and leadership coach Andrew LaCivita for some helpful tips on bouncing back from a layoff:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

What not to do

Some helpful advice offered in the Reddit thread was, "don't panic or make it obvious you're job hunting. Don’t print your resume on the company printer, don’t take recruiting calls at your desk." It's important to avoid burning bridges and to maintain professionalism. You actually might not be getting laid off, and certainly don't want to give them a reason or cause for termination.

If you survive the cut, "Start looking anyway. Companies that do one round of layoffs often do more. Plus, the culture and workload might not be sustainable. Support your laid-off colleagues. Write recommendations, make introductions, be a reference. What goes around comes around."