If you continue to give this energy, it will eat you alive. Rejection is GOOD, it makes things clear and makes you move on! Accept their decision and redirect all your energy to new, even better, more exciting opportunities!! Best of luck!!

I was also “laid off due to COVID” (in April 2020). I 1,000% believe that the company was grateful to have COVID as an excuse because they had already started laying off in November 2019. COVID provided a cover story for their layoffs. In my six years with the company, they frequently had layoffs. My opinion (based on evidence I saw in my role) has always been that they budgeted poorly, over hired, and then laid off to deal with it. They have continued hiring even now during the pandemic for some of the positions so they are not learning any lessons by trying to stay lean. Now to your issue: I am sympathetic to feeling rejected by them. But I would like to offer a silver lining for you (that may not be pleasant to hear). This is a chance to move on with your career somewhere else. I understand that the layoff was due to COVID. However, you were LAID OFF, not furloughed, so the company made a decision that it could function without you and your other laid off coworkers. At least if you had been furloughed, it would have been like placing you on hold until they could bring you back. Now that they are hiring again, they are using their cleaned house to refresh their work force. Maybe they’re going in a different direction because they realizes that they hadn’t hired all of the right people before, and now they have a new chance to hire. They can also take advantage of desperately unemployed people (whereas returning employees would want their original salaries or close to it). This doesn’t have to apply to you but you’re part of the layoff class that they just want to move away from. In my case, if they called and offered me my job back, I’d turn it down immediately. Once a company shows that they don’t need you and you are expendable, they will do it again if they have the chance. Good luck in your job search!

(warning: completely cynical genX opinion) What cowards. They don't even have the decency to give you an explanation in person, and a good recommendation? The problem with being somewhere a long time is they will just see you as that function only. There's no growth. There are no challenges and no opportunities to prove yourself as being someone who will grow with the company. If you've been in the same role for many many years.. there's also the possibility raises aren't exactly happening because they've set the upper limit of pay for that function and they don't see you as particularly as a flight risk. Overall, the way corporate america treats workers these days is deplorable. They expect loyalty from workers but they don't provide stability, respect, or provide a roadmap for mutual success. Just be on the lookout for new opportunities and vocally shamelessly announce when you're branching out into different skillsets.

Perhaps of interest, I did get a little some feedback. They hired someone with strong experience regarding an element NOT listed in the job posting. I do know that the former occupant of the position did not hold this skill either and had it been on the job posting, I would not have applied. I strongly suspect that the person they hired does not have the minimum qualifications listed in the job posting but I have seen that happen before as well.

It is hard to see it right now, but down the road, you will be doing a happy dance celebrating that you did not go back there! This opens your path to a better opportunity. Also, it sounds like this was only a temporary opportunity? You don’t need that, it would just set you up for more anxiety, worry about the end of the grant funding. Let it go. (I speak from experience—getting help from a good therapist is essential if you cannot do the mental work by yourself. Don’t overlook that this might be a form of trauma for you) There is no shame in any of this. Another tip: get anything by Brene Brown (audio is great) on Vulnerability. Listen several times.

A lot of things have to do with money. You won’t know what’s going on with their limited budget. It could be non-existent now or it could’ve shrank to be more suitable for someone with far less experience and cheaper.

Let me just say that I feel your pain. Remember you are far more valuable than a job position.

Rejection is redirection! Don’t take it too personally.

So realistically not everyone who was laid off is someone they'd want to rehire. Genuinely, my company took the list of everyone getting cut and made a separate list of immediate rehires if something became available. It may be you aren't the right fit for this. It may be that they won't want you back for anything.

First - I'm very sorry that you and your co-workers lost your jobs. That happened to me 2x during the last recession. Unfortunately - as others have mentioned, companies attempt to pacify the employees they're laying off by offering false hopes or "hallmark cards" in an effort to somehow soften the blow. It's easy to say "don't take it personally" but to the individual being impacted, it's quite personal. And that's okay. Experiences are supposed to be personal. What I would say to you now though - is fight like hell to shake this off, and move forward. Delete the email and completely let it go, or save it in a rejections folder as motivation. Do whatever you need to do, turn that rejection email into a positive for YOU. EVERYTHING happens for a reason. It's not a cliché. It's truth. YOU GOT THIS! (read this post) https://www.youauthority.com/post/friends-this-too-shall-pass