After the Layoff - Communicating with Remaining Staff

Communicating With Others Impacted By the Layoff Process

While clear, direct and compassionate communication with employees receiving layoff notification should be your first priority, it is critically important that everyone within the organization receives timely, accurate, and thorough information. Have a timeline for communicating with your staff. Meet first with employees receiving notification, then with the rest of your staff.

Remember, word of mouth travels fast, so try to stay ahead of rumors with accurate information. State the expectation that the laid off employees will work with you to insure an orderly transition of any remaining work.  Do not make any announcements about layoffs to staff by email.

First: Self Care!

• Identify and Acknowledge impacts on self
  • Committing to taking care of yourself shows you care about supporting your staff as best as you can
  • This is hard, it’s ok and expected that you will be affected
• Identify support systems
  • Find people who are available and appropriate to vent to
    • Colleagues, supervisors, SHR
  • Know your support resources
    • EAP also provides services for support related to work experiences 
    • Take time you need to process and decompress

Talking with the Work-leads or Supervisors of the Employees Receiving Notification

• As soon as possible, after layoff notification meetings, talk to the work leads regarding impacted employees. 
• Prepare talking points. Being prepared will ensure you are being responsible the the information you are communicating, and help build faith with your employees about the decision making
• Let the work lead or supervisor know that you value their leadership and that you wish you could have given them advance notice, but given the confidential nature of the information and the collective bargaining agreements, you couldn’t. 

Talking with the Employees Not Receiving Notification Letters

• Meet with remaining staff as soon as possible, eg. the afternoon or morning after notifications are delivered
• Be concise, but complete. Prepare talking points. Being prepared will ensure you are being responsible the the information you are communicating, and help build faith with your employees about the decision making
• Briefly describe the circumstances leading up to the decision and the decision-making process. 
• Be available to answer any questions. 
• Set a future time for another employee meeting to discuss future plans, new responsibilities, etc.

Reactions to Expect from Employees Remaining After the Layoff

Reactions can include but are not limited to: 

• Anger/hostility 
• Feelings of being overwhelmed
• Sense of guilt
• Insecurity about the future
• Negative attitude
• Resistance to change
• Resentment for increased workloads, changing processes
• Sadness/depression; 
• Increased absenteeism; 
• Lack of interest, energy or motivation;
• Confusion about roles, relationships, authority

How to Support Staff needs:

It is important to recognize that these feelings and behaviors are normal and are being experienced to some extent by everyone affected by the layoff. 

• Empathy: Remember, remaining staff are heavily impacted, and have their own needs too. As a supervisor/manager, it is your role to support them through tough transitions
• Allow staff to grieve, vent, express emotions and needs respectfully
  • Put mechanisms in place
    • Eg. Dedicate time in 1:1s, listening sessions, consider written/anonymous feedback platforms
• Allow flexibility in meeting operational changes. Changes in business needs can impact employees on an individual and personal level. Consider in what ways you can support them in balancing personal needs with those of the operations 

Resources: