If you’re still on the fence about whether to spend your stimulus check, pay off debt with it, or stock up on ramen noodles, this checklist may help you decide. Some of the tips are pretty unnecessary—”your job duties are marginalized” and “your company plans to move to a smaller building” shouldn’t be hard to decipher. It never hurts to remind yourself about some of the signs of an impending downsize, however.

Here are a few more signs from the list:

4. The suits begin holding frequent “secret” meetings.
Confidential meetings among executives are commonplace at most companies, but more closed doors and hushed voices than normal should serve as a warning. For instance, if most of your department suddenly disappears for an impromptu two-hour meeting that you weren’t invited to, you should at least ask questions — and be prepared to hear lies.
 
10. The email deluge suddenly dries up.
A sudden, pronounced and prolonged drop in the volume of email you receive may be a welcome respite from communication overload, but it also might mean that key projects that would have normally been assigned to you are being handled by employees that the company sees as key to its future. Meaning, not you.
 
13. You notice unfamiliar security guards around the premises.
Companies often hire extra security personnel on days that employees are let go, ostensibly so that those who blow a gasket can be manhandled off the premises before they cause a ruckus and that those with access to important company data don’t walk out the door with state secrets. If a couple of 275-pound bruisers start hanging around the break room, you or one of your colleagues may have a shorter-than-expected work week.

 
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Heads Will Roll: 17 Signs of Impending Layoffs” [HR World] (Thanks to Paul!)
(Photo: Getty)

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