The Emotional Cost of Offboarding: Ethics, Dignity, Job Loss

What job loss reveals about workplace values, mental health, and human dignity.

Even in the

shadowed

seasons,

forward is

still a direction.

The Human Cost of Job Loss

In healthcare and many other fields, employment often ends not with scandal or clear misconduct, but with silence, restructuring, or personal exhaustion. Some departures are mutual. Others unfold quietly behind the scenes. But regardless of the circumstances, job loss is never just logistical—it’s deeply human. [1]

My Own Experience

In my role as a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I’ve walked with many who’ve faced the emotional and financial toll of job loss. It’s not just a clinical concern; it’s an emotional and human one.

Several years ago, I made the hard choice to leave a position that was eroding my mental health. I had no backup plan and didn’t qualify for unemployment. The future was uncertain, and what followed wasn’t just a job search—it became a season of reckoning.

There were moments of fear, but also stillness. The pause that became a turning point for the much needed rest I needed— to reflect, to ground myself in what mattered, and to begin healing.

When the next opportunity came along after an intense period of interviews, I was ready. Not just to work again, but to move forward with a renew mind and a different kind of strength that often comes from growing during your season of change.

Ethical Concerns in Offboarding

Experiences like these shape how I view what happens when someone exits a workplace—especially when an employer disputes a person’s eligibility for unemployment benefits. There is always two sides to a story. One must avoid the allure of simplistic narratives and cognitive biases.

While there are times when contesting a claim may be legally appropriate, I’ve also observed situations where vague language or loosely interpreted clauses—such as “lack of cultural fit” or “insufficient initiative”—are cited without prior documentation or direct communication. This can leave former employees not only financially strained but psychologically burdened by a sense of invalidation.

Unemployment Is More Than Financial

Even a self-directed pause can be powerful

For some, unemployment may even bring a sense of relief. For others, it deepens feelings of rejection and instability. Moreover, unemployment benefits are designed to be a short-term safety net. They are not a reflection of a person’s worth or future potential. For individuals who have shown up, done the work, and left without cause, being denied that temporary support can feel like an extension of the very harm they endured in the workplace.

Similarly, for employees who have been involuntarily terminated the experience is often traumatic. They may suddenly lose financial stability, their reputation and the belonging they worked hard to cultivate.

What Ethical Offboarding Can Look Like

The exit is not the end—It’s a turning point.

To move forward collectively, those involved in the offboarding process can approach job transitions with greater empathy, compassion and integrity by:

• Providing clear, consistent communication throughout the employment lifecycle

• Avoiding vague or subjective language in documentation and appeals

• Recognizing the impact of workplace experiences on mental health

• Offering temporary access to counseling services (via employee assistance program) or a list of resources to the departing employee.

• Supporting the basic dignity of individuals during times of professional transition

• Providing bilingual resources and culturally sensitive information

In Conclusion

How we treat people when they leave says as much about the organization’s values and culture when compared how we treated them when they were hired. Ethical offboarding isn’t about avoiding trouble or “risky” employees—it’s about taking responsibility, making principled decisions, and upholding your values with integrity.

If you’re in the aftermath of a difficulty exit, this post on reclaiming rest and inner safety offers practical ways to begin again gently.

Ready for a Fresh Start?

New beginnings don’t always look bold, but they’re already happening.

If you're navigating a difficult job change or layoff, download my free guide: 7 Days of Tactile Self-Care – Tools to support emotional regulation.

References

- Yang, Y., Niu, L., Amin, S., & Yasin, I. (2024). Unemployment and mental health: a global study of unemployment's influence on diverse mental disorders. Frontiers in public health, 12, 1440403.

-Charles Goretsky (2023). Offboarding with Dignity to Support Corporate Values.

Additional Resources

-NAMI.org

-211: Comprehensive source of information about local resources and services nationwide.