Laura Maliqi

In the world of business, change is inevitable. Sometimes it arrives as a gentle shift, other times as a seismic disruption that leaves everyone just reeling.

Had no idea that what started as a normal day, busy morning meetings, usability testing sessions, notifications buzzing on Slack - would suddenly transform when messages started appearing that something was in the air. You join that call everyone's waiting for, only to be met with shocking news: redundancies. Here. In our department. Wait two hours for emails. Shock sets in.

I never experienced redundancies before .. so what do I do now?

You keep it to yourself at first. Don't want to worry the family. Don't want to stress them out.

finding our footing

And then, come the next day, there they were. People I've worked alongside. Some who've become more than colleagues - genuine friends through the years. Then the colleagues who share the same interest and you have good banter on Chili Peppers. And the faces you've known and seen but perhaps never spoken to as much. And here we are all...brought together by shared circumstances

For three years, I've been part of a company that talks about having each other's backs and doing the right thing. This week showed me where those values truly live - not in mission statements or employee handbooks, but in how my colleagues responded when everything was on the line.

I watched team members who'd just received the same devastating news reaching out to offer support. People shared job leads, offered to review CVs, and simply made time to listen. No one directed them to do this. This was a genuine human connection in its most authentic moment.

Even people who weren't affected by the redundancies showed true compassion and took time to listen. The empathy was real, tangible, and exactly what was needed..

the power of 'sitting' together

There's something remarkable about how people unite when facing challenges together—even if we're all just sitting behind our screens. Despite being physically apart, the virtual support felt as real as any in-person gathering.

Across our department, I've seen real strength emerge from vulnerability. A group of professionals transformed into something greater—a community bound by shared experience and mutual support.

reflections and lessons

I've never been one for posting long professional reflections or public displays of sentiment. But sometimes an experience demands acknowledgement. This is one of those times.

To my colleagues who showed up fully when it mattered most: Thank you. Thank you for being not just coworkers, but allies during uncertain times. Thank you for showing that while job situations may change, who we are as people remains constant.

What I've learned goes beyond professional resilience. It's about the power of authentic human connection at work. We spend so many hours with our "colleagues" until moments like these reveal they're actually so much more.

Perhaps the real measure of a workplace isn't found in the good times, but in how its people respond when the foundations shake. Perhaps meaningful professional relationships, built on genuine respect and shared experiences, become lifelines precisely when we need them most.

what comes next..

None of us knows exactly what 'future' holds. Some might find new roles within the company. Others will start fresh journeys elsewhere. But whatever paths we take, we carry the knowledge that we didn't face this moment alone.

The relationships we've built have revealed their true depth during this crisis. They've evolved beyond job titles and reporting lines.

This is only week one of redundancies—who knows what week two will bring. Not everyone is leaving immediately; some of us might stay. The uncertainty continues, but so does the support.

Whatever happens next, the strength I've found in our collective response will shape how I approach both work and personal challenges going forward.

Sometimes the most valuable insights about workplace culture emerge when that culture faces its greatest test. And sometimes the truest demonstration of values isn't in how they're written, but in how they're lived when everything is on the line.

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For every team member who, despite facing their own uncertainty, still found the capacity to support others—this one's for you 😊