How to tell your company has layoffs planned: Career expert shares notes

Layoffs across global companies have employees on the edge, often wondering if their company is the next to announce job cuts.

As waves of layoffs from global companies that started last year refuse to die down, most employees continue to be on tenterhooks regarding their jobs, future careers, and financial prospects. Amid this, a career expert has shared notes on how to figure out if a company has been planning job cuts.

Suzy Welch, career advisor and CNBC contributor, told the publication that there are some signs that will "send shivers down your spine".

Follow news on your company“Sometimes the earliest canary in the coal mine is the industry media,” Welch told CNBC. "Monitor your company online by reading what industry analysts and other experts are saying on different platforms about its finances and prospects. Subscribe to newsletters, blogs, and outlets that cover your industry to keep a closer look at trends in your sector," she said.

Pay close attention to your company’s financial health
Earnings reports and guidance, and movements in its share price offer a fair idea of how a company is doing financially.“You have to have the discipline to take a look at what the markets are saying about your company and which way the stock price is going,” Welch said.

Observe your boss for clues
Maintaining a trusting relationship with your manager or supervisor can ensure that in case there is a layoff coming up, you may hear of it in advance from your boss, as they will know before you. “Your boss is a human being. A boss will share that information with members of the team that they really trust,” Welch told the publication.

Watch for cost-cutting
Cost-cutting is also a sign to watch out for before any impending job cuts. For example, cancellation of events programmes, projects, perks and even appraisals.

“Anything that signals resource cuts that are not people, companies generally will try to cut projects, programs, and events before they start cutting staff. You can be concerned that they are coming for people next,” Welch said.

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