Would You Retake An Old Job You Were Previously Laid-Off From?

According to a study by Right Management cited in a CNN Money story, 18% of workers laid off in the last year who landed new positions were rehired by the employer who let them go, up from 13% in 2005.  What’s more, about 38% of employers who have laid off workers in the current recession anticipate some sort of recall of laid-off workers, or so they say (the survey was given by the Labor Dept, so they could just be sucking up).

Would You Retake An Old Job?

Would you retake an old job if offered?  I honestly can’t say that I would unless it was…

1. The best job I’d ever had, bar none or
2. I had no other prospects on the horizon and was running out of money

Obviously, if you have a mortgage to pay and mouths to feed you may not have any other choice in this economy than to take whatever you can get.  But I’ve always heard going back to an old employer amounts to career suicide, if you’re not careful.

Why I Would Say No

• Career Suicide – As I mentioned previously, going back to an old employer after being let go or quitting probably gives a negative impression of yourself to prospective employers.  Hiring managers might get the impression you are going back because you can’t find anything else.  In other words, that you’re unemployable for some reason.
• Strained Relationships With Coworkers – Often times, feelings are hurt whenever somebody is let go.  Or rumors might circulate that you were “fired” rather than “laid off.”  Or maybe losing your job is just one of those events that changes the way things are, never to be the same.  Or, depending on how you were let go, coming back could be uncomfortable or awkward for everybody.  Feelings of jealousy, guilt, or regret can make for a hellish work environment.
• You Risk Being Laid Off Again – Let’s face it, by definition companies who lay off workers have shown poor judgment at some point in the past.  Sure, maybe it was something nobody could have possibly foreseen, but that doesn’t change the fact that a company managing to get itself into enough financial trouble to have to lay some of its employees off probably isn’t in the best financial shape, even though it is rehiring.  Sometimes, lightning does strike twice.
• It Just Wouldn’t Be The Same – I’d just be going through the motions waiting for a better opportunity to come along, and that’s not fair to my employer or myself.  Chance are, the 10 signs it’s time for a new job would rear its head pretty quickly because any bonds of loyalty would already be broken.

What would you say?