3 Major Warning Signs You Might Not Get Rehired

As the world is adapting to what is now the “new normal,” Fairygodboss wants to be there for you every step of the way. Keep reading for timely advice and join our Navigating the New Normal group for continued support.

In April, the United States reached an unemployment rate of 14.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While this number of job losses is completely unprecedented, many Americans — about 80% — feel confident that they will recoup their jobs as economies begin to reopen, according to The Associated Press. Experts agree that many temporarily furloughed or laid off employees will be able to return to work as their business begins again. 

However, as director of macroeconomic policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth Claudia Sahm told the AP, there will be a number of employees who won't be able to return to their jobs. 

"For a lot of these furloughed workers, a non-trivial number will have no job to go back to, because the company they worked for will have failed or will need fewer workers than they used to," Sahm reportedly said.

While applying to jobs while furloughed is always a good exercise of caution, there are some signs that you'll need to seek other employment before you get the dreaded phone call. Here are those signs (and, if you want, other things you need to know about being furloughed). 

1. Your employer is laying off or furloughing more employees. 

If your employer is continuing to lay off or furlough other employees as your proposed restart date approaches, they may not have the resources to rehire you or the members of your furlough cohort. This is especially applicable if those they're furloughing are in a similar function, on a similar team or in a similar location or market. 

2. Your coworkers received offer letters a while back but you haven't gotten one. 

If your coworkers have been cleared to come back to work but you haven't received word you're starting again, it may be in your best interest to prepare to find another job. While there are other situations where this could be the case — your offer could be delayed for some reason, for example, or your team could be receiving letters later — it is not a strong indicator that you're going to start back ASAP. 

3. Your HR Department or manager has gone radio silent. 

If your proposed start date is quickly approaching and you haven't heard anything about picking work back up, check in with colleagues or officials to understand the timeline of when rehiring decisions will be made. If you were receiving updates but haven't heard anything for a bit, while not always the case, the next update may be decisive in one way or the other.