I know what it feels like and believe it or not, I secretly wished I was one of you. During the previous round of layoffs in 2017-2018, there were no protest signs, no press coverage, no public outrage or moral support. After eighteen months of hanging in limbo, we were quietly dismissed. Behind closed doors. Even Benjamin Dalle denied when he took office as minister of media that I had been fired, and he kept insisting for a long time afterward that there would be no layoffs.

After a year and a half of airtight{{ NOTRANSLATE_1 }}I seized the power of the microphone during my last radio broadcast and made my dismissal public myself. It never occurred to my supervisors that I might want a dignified farewell to my listeners. Someone disappears, that's all. One less half-time employee.

Is your group too large this time to keep quiet about it? Are there too many recognizable names among you? Could the VRT have finally learned something about crossing boundaries and abuse of power? Are they worried about risking #metoo lawsuits?

The fact that it could have always been worse won't help you. But if you at least escape the culture of silence and passive aggression, hopefully it will result in a few fewer traumas.

Inform yourself well before signing a settlement agreement—it could be a way to silence you. Talk as much as possible about what's happening to you, publicly and openly if you can. Draw energy and comfort from every sign of genuine empathy, and the lower down in the pecking order someone is, the greater the chance they'll truly be a safe person for you. Ask yourself whether you might have been naïve after all. Most people are decent, now and then. And finally, know that it takes a long time for the wounds of rejection to heal.It always takes longer than you thinksays Judith Herzberg,even if you think it will probably take longer than I expect.

In my Matrix lecture 'Radio, a Virtual Concert Hall,' I still speak with love about our beautiful public broadcasting corporation, to which I, like most employees, immediately sold my soul. How naive can I be? This socially important institution, which claims to stand for information and culture, is being systematically dismantled in the meantime. Anyone who insists that this targeted demolition process is inevitable and driven by budget cuts hasn't understood a thing.

My respect goes to those who remain.
Trying to row with even shorter oars in rough waters—now that's going to be a real headache.
Hang in there. Look out for each other.