This episode of The After Work Hangout explores the darker side of work, while offering practical, hopeful guidance from a clinical and career counsellor.<\/p>\n
Farah Kotadia has had various career setbacks, and each time, she\u2019s developed a stronger sense of who she is. With a background in HR and the immigrant integration sector, she now brings her full self to Wellness Works Counselling, where she supports others with a mix of passion, compassion, and a deep commitment to social justice. Join us as we discuss strategies to navigate toxic workplaces, layoff grief, rejection fears, and imposter syndrome.<\/p>\n
<\/h3>\nIn this episode:<\/h3>\n\n- How Farah\u2019s experience in HR and supporting immigrants informs her equity-focused counselling practice (1:52)<\/li>\n
- Why mental health matters in career conversations (6:32)<\/li>\n
- When it comes to your purpose, which part of the puzzle do you want to work on? (11:31)<\/li>\n
- Recently laid off? Tips from a certified grief counsellor (14:51)<\/li>\n
- Remember to be kind to yourself (19:29)<\/li>\n
- Find your way out of a toxic workplace by connecting with your core values (22:17)<\/li>\n
- Overcome fear by separating your identity from your job title (26:38)<\/li>\n
- More exciting things to ask than \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d (31:20)<\/li>\n
- Dare to pursue your passions and be who you are (33:05)<\/li>\n
- Celebrate your effort instead of focusing on the outcome (37:36)<\/li>\n
- Everybody is replaceable, so take care of yourself (40:30)<\/li>\n
- Advice for managing imposter syndrome (43:48)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Resources for making friends and building an identity outside of work:<\/h4>\n\n- Meetup<\/a><\/li>\n
- Bumble For Friends<\/a><\/li>\n
- Facebook Groups \u2013 search for groups in your area and groups related to your interests<\/li>\n
- Community Events \u2013 attend local gatherings, book clubs, and walking groups<\/li>\n
- Pursue a hobby \u2013 join a class or share skills with others<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Podcast: Listen: Apple\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Spotify\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0YouTube<\/p>\n
This episode of The After Work Hangout explores the darker side of work, while offering practical, hopeful guidance from a clinical and career counsellor.<\/p>\n
Farah Kotadia has had various career setbacks, and each time, she\u2019s developed a stronger sense of who she is. With a background in HR and the immigrant integration sector, she now brings her full self to Wellness Works Counselling, where she supports others with a mix of passion, compassion, and a deep commitment to social justice. Join us as we discuss strategies to navigate toxic workplaces, layoff grief, rejection fears, and imposter syndrome.<\/p>\n
In this episode:
\nHow Farah\u2019s experience in HR and supporting immigrants informs her equity-focused counselling practice (1:52)
\nWhy mental health matters in career conversations (6:32)
\nWhen it comes to your purpose, which part of the puzzle do you want to work on? (11:31)
\nRecently laid off? Tips from a certified grief counsellor (14:51)
\nRemember to be kind to yourself (19:29)
\nFind your way out of a toxic workplace by connecting with your core values (22:17)
\nOvercome fear by separating your identity from your job title (26:38)
\nMore exciting things to ask than \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d (31:20)
\nDare to pursue your passions and be who you are (33:05)
\nCelebrate your effort instead of focusing on the outcome (37:36)
\nEverybody is replaceable, so take care of yourself (40:30)
\nAdvice for managing imposter syndrome (43:48)
\nResources for making friends and building an identity outside of work:
\nMeetup
\nBumble For Friends
\nFacebook Groups \u2013 search for groups in your area and groups related to your interests
\nCommunity Events \u2013 attend local gatherings, book clubs, and walking groups
\nPursue a hobby \u2013 join a class or share skills with others<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":836,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n
\n\n\n\nWhen you think of grief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cathy Miyagi3-4 minutes 7\/29\/2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nTue, July 29, 2025 at 7:22 a.m. PDT 4 min read<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Losing your job can be one of life\u2019s toughest setbacks, so navigating it with clarity requires taking time to process your emotions, understand your legal rights, and seek professional advice \u2013 key steps to getting your career and finances back on track, experts say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like mourning a death, getting laid off from your job can drag you through the classic stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The loss of your job not only means loss of income, but also loss of workplace friendships, your identity and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t always equate grieving with job loss,\u201d said Farah Kotadia, founder of Wellness Works Counselling in Vancouver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy sitting with our grief, we're actually reflecting as well, and we're thinking about our next steps... so take the time to grieve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you miss certain co-workers, Kotadia suggests reaching out to them. \u201cIn a job, there's always pieces that we like and pieces that we don't like, so what resonated with you? Where does passion come in?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grief in the context of job loss could take a couple of weeks, a few months or even a year to process, said Kotadia. One day, you may feel hopeful sending out five job applications with cover letters and the next day, you may feel like not getting out of bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's OK. That's normal. That will happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While emotions can run high immediately following a layoff, employment lawyers advise not to act on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don't want people to take this opportunity to tell their bosses everything they hate about them or bad-mouth the company to others,\u201d said Lior Samfiru, national co-managing partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll of those things could bring legal action against the individual, but equally as important, may make it that much more difficult in resolving a severance issue.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samfiru said individuals and employers alike misunderstand provincial employment standards, which often require workers to be paid one week of salary per year of employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The standards are just a minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samfiru, whose firm\u2019s website has an online severance pay calculator, advises getting legal advice when faced with job loss as 90 per cent of severance packages initially offered by companies are \u201cinadequate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wellnessworkscounselling.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/young-frustrated-businessman-holding-his-head-pain-after-being-fired-work-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nCathy Miyagi3-4 minutes 7\/29\/2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nTue, July 29, 2025 at 7:22 a.m. PDT 4 min read<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Losing your job can be one of life\u2019s toughest setbacks, so navigating it with clarity requires taking time to process your emotions, understand your legal rights, and seek professional advice \u2013 key steps to getting your career and finances back on track, experts say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like mourning a death, getting laid off from your job can drag you through the classic stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The loss of your job not only means loss of income, but also loss of workplace friendships, your identity and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t always equate grieving with job loss,\u201d said Farah Kotadia, founder of Wellness Works Counselling in Vancouver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy sitting with our grief, we're actually reflecting as well, and we're thinking about our next steps... so take the time to grieve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you miss certain co-workers, Kotadia suggests reaching out to them. \u201cIn a job, there's always pieces that we like and pieces that we don't like, so what resonated with you? Where does passion come in?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grief in the context of job loss could take a couple of weeks, a few months or even a year to process, said Kotadia. One day, you may feel hopeful sending out five job applications with cover letters and the next day, you may feel like not getting out of bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's OK. That's normal. That will happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While emotions can run high immediately following a layoff, employment lawyers advise not to act on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don't want people to take this opportunity to tell their bosses everything they hate about them or bad-mouth the company to others,\u201d said Lior Samfiru, national co-managing partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll of those things could bring legal action against the individual, but equally as important, may make it that much more difficult in resolving a severance issue.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samfiru said individuals and employers alike misunderstand provincial employment standards, which often require workers to be paid one week of salary per year of employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The standards are just a minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After considering your age, tenure with the company, industry, any medical conditions and the current unemployment rate, severance could be ten to 20 times higher than what\u2019s outlined in employment standards, Samfiru said. That\u2019s why any documentation providing a wholistic view of your income is key to estimating your severance entitlement. This includes your employment agreement, bonus plans or commissions payouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samfiru, whose firm\u2019s website has an online severance pay calculator, advises getting legal advice when faced with job loss as 90 per cent of severance packages initially offered by companies are \u201cinadequate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Five Stages of Grief in Experiencing Job Loss:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Denial<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You may say to yourself \u2013 is this really happening? It will take some time to accept the job loss; to accept that you are now unemployed and need to start again. Don\u2019t rush through the emotions, ignore, or suppress them. Losing a job can be a shock to our system. Give yourself time to process and reflect on the learnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Anger can mean frustration or a violation of your core values. Whatever it is, work through<\/em> your anger. Look for opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBargaining<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The third phase is bargaining \u2013 this can happen within ourselves, with another person or even with a higher power \u2013 whether you believe in a traditional God or the Universe, bargaining or negotiating is something each of us do at different times in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Depression can come in at any time during our grief journey. The best thing you can do for yourself is sit with the depression and sadness, be inquisitive, analyze it, and work through it. This isn\u2019t always easy, and we sometimes need additional support in working through our depressive episodes, such as seeing a doctor or a counsellor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acceptance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Acceptance is the final stage of the grieving process. True acceptance is when you can appreciate the lessons you learned from the loss and move on to a future that is meant for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- How Farah\u2019s experience in HR and supporting immigrants informs her equity-focused counselling practice (1:52)<\/li>\n
- Why mental health matters in career conversations (6:32)<\/li>\n
- When it comes to your purpose, which part of the puzzle do you want to work on? (11:31)<\/li>\n
- Recently laid off? Tips from a certified grief counsellor (14:51)<\/li>\n
- Remember to be kind to yourself (19:29)<\/li>\n
- Find your way out of a toxic workplace by connecting with your core values (22:17)<\/li>\n
- Overcome fear by separating your identity from your job title (26:38)<\/li>\n
- More exciting things to ask than \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d (31:20)<\/li>\n
- Dare to pursue your passions and be who you are (33:05)<\/li>\n
- Celebrate your effort instead of focusing on the outcome (37:36)<\/li>\n
- Everybody is replaceable, so take care of yourself (40:30)<\/li>\n
- Advice for managing imposter syndrome (43:48)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Resources for making friends and building an identity outside of work:<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Meetup<\/a><\/li>\n
- Bumble For Friends<\/a><\/li>\n
- Facebook Groups \u2013 search for groups in your area and groups related to your interests<\/li>\n
- Community Events \u2013 attend local gatherings, book clubs, and walking groups<\/li>\n
- Pursue a hobby \u2013 join a class or share skills with others<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Podcast: Listen: Apple\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Spotify\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0YouTube<\/p>\n
This episode of The After Work Hangout explores the darker side of work, while offering practical, hopeful guidance from a clinical and career counsellor.<\/p>\n
Farah Kotadia has had various career setbacks, and each time, she\u2019s developed a stronger sense of who she is. With a background in HR and the immigrant integration sector, she now brings her full self to Wellness Works Counselling, where she supports others with a mix of passion, compassion, and a deep commitment to social justice. Join us as we discuss strategies to navigate toxic workplaces, layoff grief, rejection fears, and imposter syndrome.<\/p>\n
In this episode:
\nHow Farah\u2019s experience in HR and supporting immigrants informs her equity-focused counselling practice (1:52)
\nWhy mental health matters in career conversations (6:32)
\nWhen it comes to your purpose, which part of the puzzle do you want to work on? (11:31)
\nRecently laid off? Tips from a certified grief counsellor (14:51)
\nRemember to be kind to yourself (19:29)
\nFind your way out of a toxic workplace by connecting with your core values (22:17)
\nOvercome fear by separating your identity from your job title (26:38)
\nMore exciting things to ask than \u201cWhat do you do?\u201d (31:20)
\nDare to pursue your passions and be who you are (33:05)
\nCelebrate your effort instead of focusing on the outcome (37:36)
\nEverybody is replaceable, so take care of yourself (40:30)
\nAdvice for managing imposter syndrome (43:48)
\nResources for making friends and building an identity outside of work:
\nMeetup
\nBumble For Friends
\nFacebook Groups \u2013 search for groups in your area and groups related to your interests
\nCommunity Events \u2013 attend local gatherings, book clubs, and walking groups
\nPursue a hobby \u2013 join a class or share skills with others<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":836,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n\n\n\n\nWhen you think of grief<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cathy Miyagi3-4 minutes 7\/29\/2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nTue, July 29, 2025 at 7:22 a.m. PDT 4 min read<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Losing your job can be one of life\u2019s toughest setbacks, so navigating it with clarity requires taking time to process your emotions, understand your legal rights, and seek professional advice \u2013 key steps to getting your career and finances back on track, experts say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like mourning a death, getting laid off from your job can drag you through the classic stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The loss of your job not only means loss of income, but also loss of workplace friendships, your identity and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t always equate grieving with job loss,\u201d said Farah Kotadia, founder of Wellness Works Counselling in Vancouver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy sitting with our grief, we're actually reflecting as well, and we're thinking about our next steps... so take the time to grieve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you miss certain co-workers, Kotadia suggests reaching out to them. \u201cIn a job, there's always pieces that we like and pieces that we don't like, so what resonated with you? Where does passion come in?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grief in the context of job loss could take a couple of weeks, a few months or even a year to process, said Kotadia. One day, you may feel hopeful sending out five job applications with cover letters and the next day, you may feel like not getting out of bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's OK. That's normal. That will happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While emotions can run high immediately following a layoff, employment lawyers advise not to act on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don't want people to take this opportunity to tell their bosses everything they hate about them or bad-mouth the company to others,\u201d said Lior Samfiru, national co-managing partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll of those things could bring legal action against the individual, but equally as important, may make it that much more difficult in resolving a severance issue.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samfiru said individuals and employers alike misunderstand provincial employment standards, which often require workers to be paid one week of salary per year of employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The standards are just a minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samfiru, whose firm\u2019s website has an online severance pay calculator, advises getting legal advice when faced with job loss as 90 per cent of severance packages initially offered by companies are \u201cinadequate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\nCathy Miyagi3-4 minutes 7\/29\/2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nTue, July 29, 2025 at 7:22 a.m. PDT 4 min read<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Losing your job can be one of life\u2019s toughest setbacks, so navigating it with clarity requires taking time to process your emotions, understand your legal rights, and seek professional advice \u2013 key steps to getting your career and finances back on track, experts say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like mourning a death, getting laid off from your job can drag you through the classic stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. The loss of your job not only means loss of income, but also loss of workplace friendships, your identity and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople don\u2019t always equate grieving with job loss,\u201d said Farah Kotadia, founder of Wellness Works Counselling in Vancouver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy sitting with our grief, we're actually reflecting as well, and we're thinking about our next steps... so take the time to grieve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you miss certain co-workers, Kotadia suggests reaching out to them. \u201cIn a job, there's always pieces that we like and pieces that we don't like, so what resonated with you? Where does passion come in?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grief in the context of job loss could take a couple of weeks, a few months or even a year to process, said Kotadia. One day, you may feel hopeful sending out five job applications with cover letters and the next day, you may feel like not getting out of bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat's OK. That's normal. That will happen,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While emotions can run high immediately following a layoff, employment lawyers advise not to act on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don't want people to take this opportunity to tell their bosses everything they hate about them or bad-mouth the company to others,\u201d said Lior Samfiru, national co-managing partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll of those things could bring legal action against the individual, but equally as important, may make it that much more difficult in resolving a severance issue.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samfiru said individuals and employers alike misunderstand provincial employment standards, which often require workers to be paid one week of salary per year of employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The standards are just a minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After considering your age, tenure with the company, industry, any medical conditions and the current unemployment rate, severance could be ten to 20 times higher than what\u2019s outlined in employment standards, Samfiru said. That\u2019s why any documentation providing a wholistic view of your income is key to estimating your severance entitlement. This includes your employment agreement, bonus plans or commissions payouts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Samfiru, whose firm\u2019s website has an online severance pay calculator, advises getting legal advice when faced with job loss as 90 per cent of severance packages initially offered by companies are \u201cinadequate.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\nThe Five Stages of Grief in Experiencing Job Loss:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Denial<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You may say to yourself \u2013 is this really happening? It will take some time to accept the job loss; to accept that you are now unemployed and need to start again. Don\u2019t rush through the emotions, ignore, or suppress them. Losing a job can be a shock to our system. Give yourself time to process and reflect on the learnings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anger<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Anger can mean frustration or a violation of your core values. Whatever it is, work through<\/em> your anger. Look for opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bargaining<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The third phase is bargaining \u2013 this can happen within ourselves, with another person or even with a higher power \u2013 whether you believe in a traditional God or the Universe, bargaining or negotiating is something each of us do at different times in our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depression<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Depression can come in at any time during our grief journey. The best thing you can do for yourself is sit with the depression and sadness, be inquisitive, analyze it, and work through it. This isn\u2019t always easy, and we sometimes need additional support in working through our depressive episodes, such as seeing a doctor or a counsellor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acceptance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Acceptance is the final stage of the grieving process. True acceptance is when you can appreciate the lessons you learned from the loss and move on to a future that is meant for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- Bumble For Friends<\/a><\/li>\n
- Meetup<\/a><\/li>\n