You’ve heard it – seen it – possible been apart of it. The simple phrase, “Our company is downsizing,” can send chills down the spine of even the most confident manager. While some people are trying to keep their jobs by doing everything in their power to look their best there is the other side of the coin. Those who know they are going to lose their job (or the doubt is there) and want to make sure no one is looking their way. Here are some tips to stay invisible.

Be On time With Everyone Else

Okay, so the past 6 months you’ve been rolling into your office 10-20 minutes after 9. That was then this is now. You already know management has it out for you so you might as well slide in with the rest of the staff. Don’t try coming in 10-20 minutes early you’ll just stand out even more and managers will remember your name…and not for the good reason of you being the eager beaver.

Don’t Take Long Lunch’s

Before an hour and half would be no problem but now with doom looming you don’t want to be left out of the loop. However there is a flip side to this. By staying in the office during lunch supervisors will see you around the water cooler. The objective is to stay around the 45-55 minute time range. If at all possible go with a group of co-workers you know that take short lunch’s.

Take Breaks At All Times

While this might seem a little crazy the last thing you want a manager to see you is playing solitare all day. While you can ‘act’ busy for a good 4-5 hours that leaves a few hours open. If you spread it out right then break time can be all day. The point of this is to make sure you don’t spend more than 10 minutes in the break room at one time. If you do you could run into a supervisor and the last thing you want to do is explain why you’ve been seen in the break room four times in the past two hours.

Leave The Office Promptly

The goes with #1 – you came into the office in a group and you want to leave as a group. Blend in as much as possible. By not making any noise you can stay invisible during the downsizing and hopefully you’ll be able  to keep your job…for now.