Breaking the News

Though you’re still reeling from your job loss, you need to tell your family right away. You might dread it and fear their reactions, but the sooner you break the news, the quicker you can deal with the situation and get a new job.

The easiest explanation is the truth. Be honest and straightforward about your job loss when sharing it with your family. Tell your closest family members—your spouse or your parents—right away and face-to-face. Since you can’t predict another person’s reaction, you should break the news privately. Explain what happened and how you’re feeling as a result. If you have kids, this can be more difficult; before you speak with them, try to anticipate the questions they’ll have and prepare answers in advance in terms they’ll understand. Make sure you reassure your kids that this is a temporary bump in the road and that they should not worry because you’re in charge of the situation.

As for telling friends and extended family—share it with the people who you think will be supportive and will help you in your job hunt. However, don’t feel obligated to share every detail.

The important thing to remember is that each person you tell will have a different reaction, and that’s OK. You can’t control their reactions: They’ll have to deal with the news in their own way, like you.

There’s never a good time to break the news of a job loss. But by sharing the news honestly and early, you’ll have your family on your side.