In December 2022, I got fired in the most spectacular fashion.

I was called to the office on Christmas Eve. A paper was put forward that said that I am being fired due to lack of performance and I have to sign this paper.

I refused outrightly. I knew that my performance had no issue and this was completely wrong, and if I sign this paper I will be shooting myself in the foot. (I was actually headhunted for this job, I left my previous job because they approached me and wanted to take up this new role)
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The next few days were frantic, I got in touch with a lawyer, got a consultation, made sure that my case was bullet-proof, and then prepared for the worst.

I had told them if that if they wanted to let me go then they should lay me off, not fire me. Because if I am fired, then I will not have any access to unemployment benefits.
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The last day of Christmas Vacation I got a message saying that they had agreed to lay me off and I would be let go immediately.
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I never thought I would be so relieved after being let go from work.
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But this was my story in 2022 and in the last 2 years, I have seen this happen again and again. Professionals in the fields that were thought to be invincible are now laid off. In Estonia, it was unthinkable that people in the tech industry could be let go, especially after the companies had spent thousands of euros in relocating them here. But this is happening as we speak.

So what can you do?

The first thing is to always be prepared for that. Your workplace is not your family, they will let you go in a heartbeat if it comes to their business. So always be prepared.

1. Make sure you know your rights.
2. Make sure you have a 6-month emergency fund.
3. Make sure you know your documentation status (if you are based on a work permit in Estonia then you have 2-3 months to find another job or leave)

In addition, I ALWAYS tell professionals to have a side hustle when they are working. This will not just give you additional money but provide you with a sense of security.

I talk more about what side hustles can you do and what are the benefits in this video here:

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Recently I have also partnered with a legal firm to provide services in these particular areas. Just reply to this email if any of this is important to you:

-If you are a foreigner in Estonia who has just been laid off and you want to stay in Estonia, then there are some legal ways in which you can extend your stay, normally if you are laid off, you have 2-3 months to leave the country.

-If you are a foreigner who is currently working but wants to make sure that you have options in case they lose their job then there are also different legal possibilities including investment and entity formation.

Finally, I am also working on a free course for LinkedIn, that will teach you everything that you need to start from zero on there. If you are a professional and you are not on LinkedIn then you are missing out a lot. A robust linkedin network can support you and provide you with opportunities in the worst times.

I will announce here when the course is ready. Meanwhile, you can follow me on LinkedIn where I will be sharing lots of professional content in the coming weeks.

​https://www.linkedin.com/in/manananwar/​

As always, feel free to say hi and reply to this email.

/Manan