Hopefully there won't be any layoffs in the near future, but there are some things you can do to be prepared in advance in the event you are impacted by a layoff.
Do not keep anything personal on your work PC. Usually, when you are laid-off, you lose immediate access to your PC and that may mean losing anything that you had on there that was actually yours. Think photos, personal documents, personal emails, etc.
Keep personal, non—confidential examples of your work, performance appraisals, pay information, raises and other work-related items in a place where you can access it if you can no longer access your work PC. You may need the work examples if you have to look for another job. Again, make sure you are not taking any documents that would be considered company confidential.
Keep an updated list of your contacts that you can access if you lose access to your work PC. Those contacts in your network may be essential if you are looking for work. They may be aware of jobs and can also be references. Or, these are just people you want to keep in touch with.
Layoffs are widespread right now and for many, they are lasting much longer than expected. Do a personal financial review to determine how financially prepared you are for a long layoff. Start putting some emergency money away if you need to.
Update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Get active on LinkedIn and demonstrate your expertise more publicly.
Follow Dan Goodman on LinkedIn. He does a great job in helping people understand their rights as employees and provides excellent advice on a broad range of employment topics.
What are some other things you would recommend to help someone be prepared for a possible layoff?