Best Practices for Communicating Layoffs with Sensitivity

I saw a post yesterday where someone found out they were being laid off when they got logged out of a system in the middle of a presentation. And another where the person's badge simply didn't work when they showed up at work that day. I think most people understand why layoffs are necessary. We may not like them, but we get it. We know that sometimes you need to cut expenses or you simply have a change in the skills needed, and we know that if you are the owner of the business, your job is to make hard decisions even if we don't always agree with them. But what I struggle with is the callousness with which layoffs are conducted. Layoffs can be done with care and humanity and it's a choice many are making not to do it that way. Some steps I would take if I were an executive navigating layoffs: 1. I would let my employees know they were a possibility as soon as the discussion began so they could explore new opportunities. 2. I would provide as many details as I could. Share potential numbers, which departments might be impacted, criteria being considered for who might be impacted. That way, people could assess their personal risk level and act accordingly. 3. I would make sure every employee got a human touch point talking through the layoff decision. No one should find out they are being let go because their email stop working one day. 4. I would provide strong financial support. Provide a severance package that accounts for the fact that many corporate job searches take 6+ months, and that unemployment covers just a fraction of lost wages. 5. I would support them with their next steps. Give them time to gather artifacts around their work, talk through what you'll share in references, offer introductions in your networks to help them land on their feet, provide job search assistance. And I would speak positively of the laid off employees externally to ensure that I'm not unintentionally making their job search tougher on them, The pushback I hear to many of these ideas is around risk. Risk that your top performers might leave when they hear about the layoffs. Risk that employees may be less engaged and motivated if they hear that layoffs are coming. Risk that employees may cause harm if they fear being laid off. From my perspective, that's just a risk executives should take. Your employees took a risk trusting you with their career; why shouldn't that risk be shared? But I also believe that a lot of the adversarial dynamics in the workplace stem from the lack of humanity. And if you treat your employees like humans who matter to the business, and you offer them transparency and respect, they'll offer that in return. Nothing is going to make a layoff feel good. But that doesn't mean they need to be cruel.

Layoffs were the hardest thing I ever had to do. Behind each one was a person or a family. They weren't numbers. HR gave me a script full of corporate speak: "Organizational restructuring." "Strategic realignment." But how do you tell someone their job is gone using words that mean nothing? So I learned to lead differently. 15 ways to stay human during layoffs: 1/ Have the courage to deliver the news yourself ↳ Don't delegate tough conversations - your team deserves to hear it from their leader 2/ Tell the truth - even if it's about numbers and shareholders ↳ Being honest is the right thing to do 3/ Speak like a person instead of reading a script HR gave you ↳ Compassionate conversations need real words 4/ Drop the corporate mask and be human first, manager second ↳ Authenticity matters more than authority 5/ Honour each person's reaction such as tears, silence, anger ↳ There's no "right way" to receive difficult news 6/ Give them full undivided attention, listen and don't rush ↳ Their questions and concerns deserve your complete focus 7/ Keep your calendar open for questions and to check in ↳ Support doesn't end after the first conversation 8/ Recognize their contributions and impact ↳ Help them leave knowing their work mattered 9/ Stand up for their package like it's your own family's future ↳ Fight for what's right, not what's easy 10/ Let them share their story with their network on their own terms ↳ Their departure story belongs to them 11/ Give them space to say goodbye and to leave with grace ↳ Respect their need for closure with their team 12/ Write a recommendation or referrals ↳ Your help can open their next door 13/ Address fears and uncertainty of the future of those who stay ↳ Your team members need clarity 14/ Prevent burnout with realistic workload transitions ↳ Plan for sustainable changes, not quick fixes 15/ Lead with compassion - these are humans, not numbers ↳ Your humanity matters more than your title Your team will always remember how you managed the layoffs. PS: To everyone facing uncertainty with layoffs - stay strong. Your worth isn't defined by this moment 🙏 ♻️ Repost to help leaders stay human during tough times 🔔 Follow Dora Vanourek for more

50% of my team would vanish overnight. HR told me to keep quiet. But I shared EVERYTHING – even if it meant breaking their hearts. Here’s what I learned about leading through layoffs: My team and I went through multiple rounds of redundancies during my time at HP Enterprise. These have been some of the most emotionally difficult moments in my career. I had no control over the decision and no power to protect my team. And – as a leader – I had to play both sides of the fence: • the manager who could only say so much • the human who deeply cared for people on my team My team was scared. Some of them were panicking. And I'm the only one they can go to for answers. Here's how I've best found to approach these situations: 1) Share what you can, even when it feels risky. When people’s livelihoods are at stake, the last thing they need is vague statements and corporate fluff. So, I pushed internally to get as much info as I was legally allowed to share: • Who's impacted? • How many people? • When will decisions be made? Anything I could share, I did — no sugarcoating. I was upfront about what I knew, what I didn't, and what I was working to find out. Some of my fellow managers kept it close to their chest. But in these moments, silence feels like betrayal. Giving people clarity shows that you care and builds trust, even in difficult moments. 2) Prioritise your team as people, not just employees. There's a difference between what you HAVE to do as a manager and what you CHOOSE to do as a leader. I focused on the latter. My team was scattered across the country, so I: • travelled to see people in person • planned low-stakes team hangouts (on Teams) • held space for venting and honest conversations When you’re under threat of redundancy, even a 15-minute chat with your manager can be grounding. I wanted to remind people they still mattered as humans, not just headcount. 3) Don't wait to talk about the "what ifs." Even before we knew who might be impacted, I started conversations about next steps. • how to find a new role • where the market was moving • what good networking looked like I didn’t want anyone to feel like they were being held back or strung along. Sounds counterintuitive—but it helped. People felt less trapped, more prepared. Less anxious, more in control. If someone did end up being affected, they weren’t starting from zero. — If you're a leader reading this: You can't control corporate decisions, but you CAN control how you show up for your people. It's okay to not know all the answers. Show up, be honest, and show that you care. That alone can make more of a difference than you think.

Mergers and acquisitions often come with hard choices. And sometimes, that includes layoffs. I’ve seen hundreds of leaders face that moment, and it’s never easy. But there is a right way to do it. The right way preserves dignity, trust, and the foundation you’ll need for a successful integration. Here are a few things that make all the difference: 1. Be honest early. People can handle tough news better than uncertainty. Even partial clarity is better than a vacuum that fuels rumors. 2. Stay consistent. HR, communications, and deal sponsors must tell the same story. Mixed messages erode trust faster than bad news ever could. 3. Show respect through action. Severance and outplacement services are how you show that people still matter, even as they leave. 4. Providing access to EAPs and mental health resources sends the same message: we care about you as a person, not just an employee ID. 5. Don’t make it harder. Never do layoffs on a Friday. Give people time during the week to access HR, ask questions, and get support. 6. Support those who stay. “Survivor guilt” and fear are real. The way you treat departing colleagues becomes a mirror for everyone still on the inside. 7. Be visible. HR leaders need to walk the floor, listen, and keep showing up even after the announcement fades. These moments define an organization’s character. They set the tone for the culture that will exist long after the deal closes. If you’ve been through a layoff during an acquisition, either as a leader or as an employee, what’s one thing someone did (or didn’t do) that helped you get through it? #MandA #HRLeadership #ChangeManagement #PeopleFirst #Leadership #Layoffs

Maya was told she was fired at 9:03 AM. By 9:10, her email was deactivated. Just a cold exit from a job she gave 5 years to. “They didn’t fire me. They made it feel like I never existed.” Not one message from her manager. Not one acknowledgment from leadership. Not even a chance to say goodbye. This is what too many companies get wrong. The way you fire someone? It says more about your culture than any “values” page ever will. Here’s how to make sure you don’t fail the moment that matters most 👇 ✅ Don’t outsource the hard part → If they reported to you, you deliver the message. → In person or on Zoom. → With eye contact, not a cold HR template. ✅ Give them the dignity of a human goodbye → Offer 24-48 hours to wrap up. → Let them message their team. → Give space for closure and respect. ✅ Don’t erase their contributions → With consent, send a company-wide thank-you. → Acknowledge their wins publicly. → Legacy matters. Don’t treat them like a liability. ✅ Go beyond “best wishes.” → Write them a real LinkedIn reco. → Introduce them to 3 relevant people. → Send job leads and say, “This reminded me of you.” ✅ Follow up after Day 0 → Message them 2 weeks later. → Check in like a human being. → Show they weren’t disposable. ✅ Treat ex-employees like alumni, not ghosts → Invite them to community events. → Celebrate their next chapter. → Keep the door open for future roles. Companies love to brag about their “people-first” culture. But you don’t prove that on hiring day. You prove it on firing day. That’s the real test. Which of these 6 steps do you wish more companies followed? ♻️ Repost if you believe layoffs should be human, not humiliating. 🔔 Follow Julia Snedkova for actionable career strategies 📌 For women with ambition in their bones and questions in their hearts, this newsletter is the next best move. Step in → Comments have the link.

I’ve led teams through 5 layoffs at 3 companies - back to back. 😮💨 I never planned for it and I wasn’t trained for it, but I learned fast. With layoff news continuing to hit our feeds, I want to speak directly to leaders navigating this right now. 🩵 Your team needs you. Not just the ones who were let go. The ones who are still here, too. For those who were impacted: ➟ Offer your network ➟ Don’t disappear - call, check in…more than once. (It's pretty wild how many people tell me they never heard from their manager post-layoff.) ➟ Send voice notes, emails, intros ➟ Ask how you can help and mean it For those still here: They're not always feeling “lucky.” They’re hurting too. Survivor’s guilt, fear, numbness, grief - it’s all very real. 🫶 Here’s what to do in the first 2 weeks: 📌 Skip the motivational speeches ➟ Now isn’t the time for “rally cries.” It’s the time for honesty, space, and care. ❇️ Lower the bar (for now) ➟ Don’t expect peak performance. Give people room to process. ➟ Offering space says: “I trust you.” ✨ Shift how you lead through your 1:1s ➟ Ask: “On a scale from 1–10, how are you today?” ➟➟➟ If they say 7, ask: “Why not a 6?” ➟➟➟ If it’s lower, ask: “What would be most helpful for you move up the scale?” (*This is a motivational interviewing tactic meant to get people to shift from feeling stuck.) 🫂 Be human. Full stop. ➟ Say: “This sucks.” ➟ Say: “I don’t have all the answers.” ➟ Say: “I’m feeling it too.” That kind of leadership builds trust that lasts. And if you were impacted, or if you're leading through the aftermath: Don’t let anyone tell you a version of “suck it up" or attempts at minimizing your experience. Yes, it’s business. Yes, this happens. But it doesn’t mean people aren’t allowed to feel. You spend more waking hours at work than almost anywhere else. If this shook you - feel it. That’s human. 💫 #layoffs #heretohelp #communicatewithconfidence #leadwithclarity #coaching #sales

Sadly, there are a lot of people on my timeline who have been laid off in recent months.  Let’s be clear— layoffs impact everyone. Yes, those who lost their jobs deserve dignity and care, and as someone who’s been laid off multiple times in my career, I greatly empathize. But the people still there—they’re processing guilt, fear, and uncertainty all while being asked to carry on. 🚩 Leaders, this is the moment when your team is watching—not just what you say, but how you show up. The aftermath of a reduction in force isn’t just a logistical challenge. It’s a trust test. People are grieving. They’re confused. And they’re wondering if they’re next. Don’t take them for granted. They stayed—but they didn’t stay unchanged. So how should you respond?  Not with spin. With presence. Don’t rush to “get back to normal.” There is no normal after layoffs—there’s only a new reality. And your job is to help your team navigate it with clarity, care, and credibility. Start by acknowledging the loss. Name what happened. Don’t hide behind corporate speak. Then create space for the emotional fallout—not just productivity metrics. Your people need a human response, not just a business case. And above all, be transparent about what’s next. Even if the answers aren’t perfect. Especially when they’re not. Trust isn’t built when things are easy. It’s built in the hard moments—when leadership chooses accountability over silence and empathy over distance. People never forget how you made them feel when things got hard.  Lead accordingly. #DEI #Leadership

You can't protect culture during layoffs - but you can preserve trust. Just look at Target, Amazon, GM, or any of the dozens of headlines about layoffs that just keep coming. The playbook rarely changes: vague statements about "restructuring," corporate-speak about "realignment," and employees left wondering what just happened - and whether they're next. Culture is made up of people, and you can't realistically expect to keep the culture you had when the people are gone. But if you and your leadership team work to maintain trust during difficult transitions, you make it easier to rebuild that culture. I've seen it done both ways. The difference between destruction and preservation comes down to three things: honesty, empathy, and alignment. Look at how HP handled layoffs years ago. Leadership didn't hide behind euphemisms. They explained why cuts were necessary, how decisions were made, and what the company would look like on the other side. They treated people like adults who deserved the truth. Good leaders understand that layoffs are a moment to reinforce the social contract rather than obliterate it. They communicate: "We didn't want to do this - the macro environment forced our hand - but it doesn't change who we are or what we stand for." Think of it like ending a relationship. You can do it with dignity and respect, or you can do it in a way that’s hurtful and leaves the other person bitter. Either way, the relationship ends, but only one approach lets both parties move forward intact. If your people don't understand why layoffs are happening and where your company is headed, you’ll lose the trust of everyone who remains. And trust, unlike a workforce, can't be rebuilt with another hiring spree.

Layoffs, closures, restructuring... there’s no easy way to deliver hard news — but how you do it matters. I recently watched a video of Gary Vaynerchuk getting fired up (and I mean fired up) over a question from someone whose company announced they would be relocating their headquarters in 3 years. Yes — 3 years’ notice. They also announced that employees who chose not to relocate could keep their jobs and work remotely, but they wouldn’t be eligible for future promotions or increases. This employee was upset. She loves her job and the company, but feels management is ruining it. She asked Gary if she should cut her losses or stay, and he told her (with many trademark f-bombs) that her reaction reeked of entitlement, not injustice. He praised the company for communicating early, offering options, and giving ample time to prepare. (I’ll drop the link to the IG video in the comments if you want to see Gary go full Gary.) And this week, a coaching client called me. Their company recently announced that thousands of jobs will be eliminated by year-end, with a promise to notify impacted employees by the end of the month. No one knows who’s safe. Anxiety is high. Focus is low. We talked through how he, as a leader, could show up during this time: to keep his team informed, build trust, and support them — even while he’s in the dark himself. Here’s the thing: Companies can rarely “win” when change is coming. - If you give no notice — you’re heartless. - If you give months (or 3 years!) notice — you’re cruel for making people wait and wonder. But here’s what I know: ✳️ Transparency, even when imperfect, builds trust. So what can leaders do when change is coming, and people’s jobs — and lives — are on the line? * Communicate in person, with empathy. Even if the company made an official announcement, you need to have the conversation with your team. Meet with your team members one-on-one. Listen. Acknowledge their concerns without defensiveness. Don’t argue with feelings — they’re valid, even if the facts are off. * Be honest and transparent about what you can’t say yet. Answer questions when you can. And when you can’t, be clear about why, and when more information will be shared. People don’t expect certainty, but they do expect integrity. * Relate without centering yourself. If you’re potentially affected too, it’s okay to briefly acknowledge that. But don’t make it about you. Your role is to steady the ship, not captain a therapy circle. * Help them prepare — without feeding panic. Encourage your team to be mindful and proactive (talk with family, reach out to their network). But also remind them of the importance of staying focused and connected to the mission. Their work still matters. Their contributions still count. The truth is — if you haven’t built trust with your team before disruption hits, these conversations will be harder. But it’s never too late to start. You can’t make hard news easy. But you can make it human.

Layoffs feel unethical, but they’re not inherently wrong. It’s the behavior behind the decision that matters. I learned this early in my career. Layoffs are business decisions. They’re about numbers, markets, and strategy. What makes them unethical is when leadership lies, hides, or treats people like disposable parts. When you can’t look someone in the eye and tell the truth, that’s when you’ve crossed the line. That’s why I teach the ETHICS framework to leaders and HR folks. It’s not academic. It’s survival. It kept me grounded when the pressure was high and the choices were ugly. Evaluate. Get the facts. Who’s impacted? What’s the real story behind the spreadsheet? Don’t accept half-truths. Think. Sit with the consequences. Who gets hurt? Who gets protected? What’s the ripple effect six months from now? Honor values. Integrity isn’t a slide deck. It’s how you behave when nobody’s watching. Does this decision reflect what you say you stand for? Identify options. There are always more than leaders admit. Better severance. Clearer communication. A chance to redeploy someone into a different role. Get creative. Choose. Make the call with clarity, not cowardice. People can smell fear. They can also smell respect. Scrutinize. After it’s done, don’t bury it. What worked? What was awful? What will you refuse to repeat? Layoffs are a business failure for sure. We can and should make them fair, transparent, and respectful. That’s ethical leadership. So next time you’re in the room for a hard decision, don’t wing it. Don’t hide. Use the ETHICS framework. Stand in your values. People will forget the press release, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel when their job disappeared. https://lnkd.in/e2amCVM6