As with so many things in life, how you choose to handle a reduction in force makes all the difference. The circumstances that necessitated the downsizing may be out of your control, but as leaders, you can control how you respond to those circumstances. 

Now, there isn’t a single leader out there worth his or her salt who actually enjoys terminating their employees. Unfortunately, many do such a poor job of communicating that it can appear as though they do. It’s understandable to an extent; terminating an employee, especially when it is not for cause, can be nerve-wracking and emotionally draining. When nervous, it’s easy to say the wrong thing or be less-than-delicate when sharing bad news. 

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help think through the art of communicating bad news to your employees.

  •   Am I being abrupt, or am I providing reasonable notice?  

As soon as you’ve made the decision to reduce your workforce, you are required to provide “reasonable notice.” This definition can vary from state to state, so it is important to find out what “reasonable notice” means for you.

For some businesses, The WARN Act (Workers Adjustment and Retraining) will apply, which states that employees must receive 60 days written notice. If your business is not covered by the WARN act, you have more flexibility. There are currently no federal regulations mandating specific notification periods. 

If your layoff is more targeted, focusing on a department or vertical, employees might be asked to stay on for a period of time to help with the shutdown of those operations.

Rules for notification vary from state to state, it is important that you check with your state or government authorities.

Legalities aside, it’s important that you take the time to evaluate your approach and make sure that you’re not waiting until the last minute. You’ll have plenty of notice before you get to the point of reducing your workforce. Make sure you treat your team with the respect they deserve and provide as much notice as possible. 

 

  • Are you being unfair, or being as fair as you can be? 

This is a difficult question to answer because employees will almost always see negative action taken against them as inherently unfair. However, if you’ve been transparent from the onset, hopefully, the employees being terminated will understand that you’ve done everything in your power to avoid this point. At that point, all you can do is try and make sure that the exit package is as fair and generous as it can be.

  •   Are you acting with compassion or force? 

Your delivery will largely dictate how an individual responds to the news being delivered. Rehearse your delivery but also strive to be as genuine as possible. Don’t come across as overly forceful. You want to be viewed as a firm but compassionate leader in times of crisis. 

Understanding your company’s brand will help you make quick decisions about how you want to conduct the furlough or layoff. Remember, your employees are people and they’re being presented with a challenging situation. If you act with fairness, compassion, and foresight you can make the experience as easy as possible for them.