<p>The massive global layoffs at Oracle, including 12,000 job cuts in India, have sparked distress among tech workers across the industry. Since the March 31 development, some mental wellness platforms in Bengaluru have reported a spike in career-related calls.</p><p>A large majority of those reaching out are still employed but anxious they might be next to be let go. A smaller group includes those who lost their jobs at Oracle and are experiencing sleeplessness, breakdowns and low self-esteem.</p> .<p>According to Dr Ali Khwaja of Banjara Academy, such professionals begin seeking help only after about a month, as they are initially too numb to process the sudden change. He says the shock is greater in the case of job losses than in exam results because layoffs are unexpected; what seems like a normal workday can suddenly be the last. The Oracle employees received an email early in the morning informing them of their immediate termination, as part of the company’s broader move to reorganising around AI and automation.</p><p>Around 25 working professionals, mostly over 30 or in senior roles, have reached out to Dr Khwaja’s centre since the recent layoffs. Of these, one or two were directly affected but are not yet considering “serious counselling”.</p> .<p>Compared to their previous weekly average, YourDOST saw a 150-200% rise in job loss-related conversations after the layoff announcement. The team sees this as a clear emotional response triggered by such events.</p><p>However, nearly 20 people recently laid off by the American MNC have turned to PeakMind, says its founder Neeraj Kumar. They came through referrals from clients of an executive search firm he runs, as well as his personal network. In addition, around 25 professionals from other tech companies have also approached him. Overall, more men than women are seeking help, and most are from mid- to senior-level positions.</p> .<p><strong>‘Why me?’</strong></p><p>Kumar says the affected individuals are asking why it happened to them and why they didn’t see it coming. “One Oracle employee broke down in tears. He is the sole breadwinner, with children in school and financial commitments. Despite 15-20 years of experience, he is unsure about (securing) his future,” he says.</p><p>Dr Khwaja says people in this age group typically have high expenses and are more vulnerable to churn in the job market. The episode has also brought to the fore existing issues in families, with spouses quarrelling over remarks such as ‘I had told you to consider switching’.</p> .<p>The team at YourDOST says those laid off report a loss of identity and confidence, sleep problems, poor concentration, a sense of losing control, social withdrawal, and stigma around job loss. Those who remain employed report survivor’s guilt, heavier workloads, performance pressure, and anxiety about future layoffs. “This shows mental health support cannot be reactive. It needs to be consistently available, especially when people are trying to make sense of what’s happening around them,” says cofounder and CEO Richa Singh.</p><p>YourDOST also offers workplace wellness programmes. It has noticed that over the past six months, work-related stress, career uncertainty, and anxiety around future stability and performance pressure have accounted for 70-75% of conversations, perhaps a sign of sustained turbulence in the job market.</p> .<p><strong>‘Out of work since last layoff’</strong></p><p>A 42-year-old technical consultant lost his job in a previous round of layoffs at Oracle in September 2025. Despite “20 years of experience” and a “large network of contacts”, he has not been able to find work since. He describes how hard job hunting has been. Fast-changing technology has made his existing skills less relevant. He has lost over Rs 50,000 to job frauds. He tried pivoting to the manufacturing sector, but even there he could not make progress in interviews, without any clear explanation given.</p><p>He is the sole breadwinner, with two school-going children and home EMIs to pay. He has requested a two- to three-month extension to pay his children’s school fees. Until last month, he managed expenses using his severance package. He alleges that while he received Rs 10 lakh in compensation, “Rs 3 lakh went away in taxes”.</p> .<p>He relied only on corporate medical insurance and is now without any coverage. His monthly expenses have risen from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh due to healthcare costs. He is now considering encashing his provident fund to sustain himself, alongside pursuing upskilling courses and visiting temples to stay grounded. “I try to laugh and keep myself calm. If I don’t, what will happen to my family?” he asks. But he doesn’t hide his bitterness: “There is no place for loyalty and experience in the IT sector. I would not want my children to grow up and join IT,” he says.</p><p>His colleague, who’s into product development, had a different experience, but no less traumatic. While she found a job with a partner company within a week, the transition period, from being asked to stop coming to the office to being let go, lasted a month. “During that period, I felt like I belonged nowhere. I would wake up not knowing what to do with my life. I felt I had lost my identity,” says the 52-year-old. The lack of closure made it worse. She says, “I didn’t know where I fell short or why I was chosen. I didn’t even get to properly say goodbye to my colleagues.” But something her friend told her during those difficult times shifted her perspective on life. “He said a job doesn’t define your identity. That gave me the strength to look at life differently.”</p> .<p>At the same time, she saw a more supportive side of the industry. “People were actively referring each other’s applications, like a community,” she says.</p><p>Aditya Veera Venkatesh, an Oracle consulting team leader at a different company, acknowledges the community’s swift response. “A lot of people who were let go from locations like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Gurugram are sending in applications to our company.” He says the recent layoffs, which have affected high-level individual contributors and mid-level managers, are concerning. “Even those who are adapting and knowledgeable in AI are not able to survive,” he shares. Still, he remains optimistic and focuses on constantly keeping up with technology and grooming his team members to be future-ready.</p> .<p><strong>Tips to cope</strong></p><p>Kumar, who has handled over 100 layoff cases, says that sooner or later, everyone finds a job. The key, he says, is managing the uncertain period by gaining better control over one’s mind and emotions. Job hunting takes time, and he advises people to set small, realistic goals spread over the windows of 30, 60, or 90 days to work towards it. He also stresses staying physically active and not bottling up stress, but sharing it with family and friends.</p><p>Dr Khwaja says it is important to address repressed anger and low self-esteem, as these can surface during future interviews. He also advises those in senior roles to think laterally: “Would they want a change of profession at this point in their career?”</p><p>YourDOST helps such help individuals separate identity from employment status, cope with uncertainty around careers and finances, and rebuild confidence.</p> .<p><strong>Helplines</strong></p><p>Tele MANAS: 1800-89-14416</p><p>Nimhans Centre for Well Being: 94808 29670.</p>
<p>The massive global layoffs at Oracle, including 12,000 job cuts in India, have sparked distress among tech workers across the industry. Since the March 31 development, some mental wellness platforms in Bengaluru have reported a spike in career-related calls.</p><p>A large majority of those reaching out are still employed but anxious they might be next to be let go. A smaller group includes those who lost their jobs at Oracle and are experiencing sleeplessness, breakdowns and low self-esteem.</p> .<p>According to Dr Ali Khwaja of Banjara Academy, such professionals begin seeking help only after about a month, as they are initially too numb to process the sudden change. He says the shock is greater in the case of job losses than in exam results because layoffs are unexpected; what seems like a normal workday can suddenly be the last. The Oracle employees received an email early in the morning informing them of their immediate termination, as part of the company’s broader move to reorganising around AI and automation.</p><p>Around 25 working professionals, mostly over 30 or in senior roles, have reached out to Dr Khwaja’s centre since the recent layoffs. Of these, one or two were directly affected but are not yet considering “serious counselling”.</p> .<p>Compared to their previous weekly average, YourDOST saw a 150-200% rise in job loss-related conversations after the layoff announcement. The team sees this as a clear emotional response triggered by such events.</p><p>However, nearly 20 people recently laid off by the American MNC have turned to PeakMind, says its founder Neeraj Kumar. They came through referrals from clients of an executive search firm he runs, as well as his personal network. In addition, around 25 professionals from other tech companies have also approached him. Overall, more men than women are seeking help, and most are from mid- to senior-level positions.</p> .<p><strong>‘Why me?’</strong></p><p>Kumar says the affected individuals are asking why it happened to them and why they didn’t see it coming. “One Oracle employee broke down in tears. He is the sole breadwinner, with children in school and financial commitments. Despite 15-20 years of experience, he is unsure about (securing) his future,” he says.</p><p>Dr Khwaja says people in this age group typically have high expenses and are more vulnerable to churn in the job market. The episode has also brought to the fore existing issues in families, with spouses quarrelling over remarks such as ‘I had told you to consider switching’.</p> .<p>The team at YourDOST says those laid off report a loss of identity and confidence, sleep problems, poor concentration, a sense of losing control, social withdrawal, and stigma around job loss. Those who remain employed report survivor’s guilt, heavier workloads, performance pressure, and anxiety about future layoffs. “This shows mental health support cannot be reactive. It needs to be consistently available, especially when people are trying to make sense of what’s happening around them,” says cofounder and CEO Richa Singh.</p><p>YourDOST also offers workplace wellness programmes. It has noticed that over the past six months, work-related stress, career uncertainty, and anxiety around future stability and performance pressure have accounted for 70-75% of conversations, perhaps a sign of sustained turbulence in the job market.</p> .<p><strong>‘Out of work since last layoff’</strong></p><p>A 42-year-old technical consultant lost his job in a previous round of layoffs at Oracle in September 2025. Despite “20 years of experience” and a “large network of contacts”, he has not been able to find work since. He describes how hard job hunting has been. Fast-changing technology has made his existing skills less relevant. He has lost over Rs 50,000 to job frauds. He tried pivoting to the manufacturing sector, but even there he could not make progress in interviews, without any clear explanation given.</p><p>He is the sole breadwinner, with two school-going children and home EMIs to pay. He has requested a two- to three-month extension to pay his children’s school fees. Until last month, he managed expenses using his severance package. He alleges that while he received Rs 10 lakh in compensation, “Rs 3 lakh went away in taxes”.</p> .<p>He relied only on corporate medical insurance and is now without any coverage. His monthly expenses have risen from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh due to healthcare costs. He is now considering encashing his provident fund to sustain himself, alongside pursuing upskilling courses and visiting temples to stay grounded. “I try to laugh and keep myself calm. If I don’t, what will happen to my family?” he asks. But he doesn’t hide his bitterness: “There is no place for loyalty and experience in the IT sector. I would not want my children to grow up and join IT,” he says.</p><p>His colleague, who’s into product development, had a different experience, but no less traumatic. While she found a job with a partner company within a week, the transition period, from being asked to stop coming to the office to being let go, lasted a month. “During that period, I felt like I belonged nowhere. I would wake up not knowing what to do with my life. I felt I had lost my identity,” says the 52-year-old. The lack of closure made it worse. She says, “I didn’t know where I fell short or why I was chosen. I didn’t even get to properly say goodbye to my colleagues.” But something her friend told her during those difficult times shifted her perspective on life. “He said a job doesn’t define your identity. That gave me the strength to look at life differently.”</p> .<p>At the same time, she saw a more supportive side of the industry. “People were actively referring each other’s applications, like a community,” she says.</p><p>Aditya Veera Venkatesh, an Oracle consulting team leader at a different company, acknowledges the community’s swift response. “A lot of people who were let go from locations like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Gurugram are sending in applications to our company.” He says the recent layoffs, which have affected high-level individual contributors and mid-level managers, are concerning. “Even those who are adapting and knowledgeable in AI are not able to survive,” he shares. Still, he remains optimistic and focuses on constantly keeping up with technology and grooming his team members to be future-ready.</p> .<p><strong>Tips to cope</strong></p><p>Kumar, who has handled over 100 layoff cases, says that sooner or later, everyone finds a job. The key, he says, is managing the uncertain period by gaining better control over one’s mind and emotions. Job hunting takes time, and he advises people to set small, realistic goals spread over the windows of 30, 60, or 90 days to work towards it. He also stresses staying physically active and not bottling up stress, but sharing it with family and friends.</p><p>Dr Khwaja says it is important to address repressed anger and low self-esteem, as these can surface during future interviews. He also advises those in senior roles to think laterally: “Would they want a change of profession at this point in their career?”</p><p>YourDOST helps such help individuals separate identity from employment status, cope with uncertainty around careers and finances, and rebuild confidence.</p> .<p><strong>Helplines</strong></p><p>Tele MANAS: 1800-89-14416</p><p>Nimhans Centre for Well Being: 94808 29670.</p>