Pink Slip Clients

The term Pink Slip originated in the early 20th century, when employers in America used pink-colored paper to print termination notices for their employees (in other countries, different colors are used).

This expression has become widely recognized as a symbol of job loss and workplace insecurity. It can be used literally and figuratively, with people using it to describe any situation in which they have been “let go” from their position and employer.

The pink color was used to differentiate memos or letters written on white paper. The Pink Slip was noticeable.

U.S. employers have cut more than 1.1 million jobs through November of 2025, consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported in December. That number is the highest level since 2020, during the pandemic. Tariffs, corporate restructuring, and artificial intelligence facilitate the layoffs.  

Be Prepared

Given today’s employment atmosphere, where Pink Slips often reach employees with no warning, employees need to be prepared. 

If someone gets a Pink Slip today, it often arrives at the same time or after access to a company computer, email, Teams, Slack, or other platform has been terminated. It is as if the employee never existed with the company. 

At that time, there is no access to payroll, year-end and 401K files; or personal files, which may include awards (individual or group), any files with kudos for work well done, performance evaluations, succession plans, training and credentialing history, necessary emails, contact information (e.g., email or cell number of a colleague, supervisor, or customer for a possible reference), or a picture you may have placed on the computer to share with colleagues of a work party, award ceremony, or new baby.  

As such, I coach my clients to move personal files from a company computer weekly, if not daily. I also coach my clients and anyone I know, friends, family, and colleagues, to keep an accomplishment journal. This journal will be invaluable if a Pink Slip arrives. The employee will be able to build a new résumé with impact statements from this accomplishment journal. 

I encourage and coach my clients to keep their résumés and LinkedIn profiles updated at least every six months. If a Pink Slip does arrive, it is much easier to update a résumé with six months of impact statements than to make many years of updates. 

The Pink Slip Feeling

A Pink Slip is typically received via email today. The letter may be the body of the email or an attachment or both. 

Some Pink Slips are this simple:

Dear Name,

Please find attached a formal letter regarding the conclusion of your employment with XYZ company as of date/year. 

On behalf of XYZ company, I want to extend our sincere gratitude for your service and contributions. Your work has been truly valued, and we appreciate your support in making our client’s/company’s experience smoother.

We will be in touch with you regarding any next steps and information required to finalize this transition.

We wish you the very best in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
XYZ President/or HR Director

If the employee works in an office, they may be allowed to gather personal items, such as a lunch box, cell phone charger, hairbrush, and a jacket hung on the back of the door, and then be escorted from their desk space by security. Others may be greeted by a representative from security or Human Resources upon arrival for work. The employee is handed a box of personal items and a Pink Slip notice and is not allowed to enter the premises. 

Even though a layoff is a “no-fault” separation from a job, receiving the Pink Slip letter feels like a punch to the gut. You know — that feeling you get when you are shocked and dejected. Then the flood of emotions and questions pours out: How could this happen to me? My performance rating was superior last month. What did I do wrong? How will I pay my bills? What do I do now? How do I access my personal files? Do I have value in the employment market anymore? 

Emotions set in. There are feelings of anxiousness, rejection, failure, gloom, shame, embarrassment, and maybe even depression. The grief cycle begins. Grief is not just about death. Employees grieve the loss of a job, opportunities and promotions, income and salary, benefits, and even the feeling of loss from missing colleagues, project meetings, events, and the challenges of not being able to engage in collective brainstorming. 

Their schedule may have included regular meetings for years, which are now gone. 

Most employees wear an “imaginary hat” that says the title of their discipline or role: Engineer, Nurse Practitioner, IT Specialist, Director, Chef, Marketing Specialist. Or they wear that hat with a list of accolades and awards. They no longer know how to respond when someone asks them what they do or for whom they work. 

Some Pink Slips do come with a warning and a date, a month, or a couple of weeks in the future. This allows an employee to move personal information from a company computer and speak with a company Human Resources or benefits representative to discuss items such as COBRA for medical insurance, unemployment insurance and benefits, and other severance benefits offered by the company. If an employer provides an advanced notice, the employee has time to learn and prepare for unemployment.

Coaching Through a Pink Slip

Coaching Pink Slip clients requires the coach to demonstrate empathy to build client trust. Explain the job loss grief cycle (as explained in the CPCC program) to Pink Slip clients. Ensure they understand how to navigate the immediate needs, including creating a budget, applying for unemployment insurance, and obtaining medical insurance or CORBA. 

Next, begin the career management action plan and identify the client’s needs. The client may need to draft a new résumé, update an old one, update a LinkedIn profile, and make decisions about the career transition. The client may want to change career fields or disciplines, or obtain a position that delivers greater challenges or a less demanding position. 

A Pink Slip is an opportunity for some employees to make decisions going forward about how a job or company aligns with their goals and values. You can discuss burnout and create a “wish list” for new positions. It may provide an opportunity to earn a new degree or credential or to learn new skill sets. It is undoubtedly an opportunity to meet new people, build relationships, and connect with colleagues, alumni, and friends from the past. 

The Human Touch

Pink Slip clients need much encouragement and confidence-building. Their mindsets need to shift from doom to opportunity, as we coach them to navigate the unpredictable and ambiguous. We provide realistic timelines, explain the workplace circumstances that include fake job postings, ghosting from résumés and interviews, and the critical requirement to speak to humans. 

I ask them many questions: What skills do you possess that are still useful as you seek new employment? What can you contribute that is valuable? What do you want to do – assume nothing hinders that decision? How can you stay confident in your skill set and job search? What did you learn from your previous job search that you will not do this time, or that you will do and enhance this time? 

As a career coach, I become their confidant. They can vent openly and even shed a tear if needed. And we keep moving forward to build their new career management plan and launch a job search strategy to help them reach their goal position. I am coaching my clients to be prepared in 2026.