The importance of a layoff communication plan

Layoffs are rarely spontaneous. In reality, there will have been a series of internal talks involving executive groups and board members, stakeholders from across the organisation and managers before the people impacted are informed. Therefore, it is essential that you have a thorough and efficient layoff communication plan. 

The importance of communication

Layoffs can be a challenging and emotional experience for both the affected employees and the wider company. Employers need to communicate the situation with empathy, compassion and transparency - your employees will inevitably be stressed and worried about their future, so you should be communicating with them regularly.

Employees who perceive themselves as being in the know are more likely to trust management decisions and to be open to change.

A layoff communication sample script may include reasons for the layoffs, the employees' options for support or advice on how to move their careers forward, and any benefits or severance packages.

Forming a layoff communication team

Ideally, your HR team would be responsible for managing the process, but it will require active involvement from other members of your organisation.

The first step is to create a plan that includes the groups in charge of creating and executing the communication strategy for layoffs. The teams and individuals included in the layoff process are:

• Senior Management: Typically those responsible for the hiring and firing decisions. The spokesperson for the message about the layoffs should be the CEO, or an equivalent senior leader, as they are essentially the figurehead of the layoff communication plan. 
   
• Managers and Supervisors: They need to know what is going on at their level and how they can support their staff through this trying period. They are frequently the employees' first point of contact and are the ones who face the heat of their inquiries and issues. 
   
• Corporate Communications: The corporate or internal communications team is crucial to the process, playing a part in everything from protecting the employer brand during layoffs to creating considerate layoff communication messages.
   
• Legal: Organisations must comply with all relevant employment laws when conducting layoffs. This includes communication of benefits and severance packages, which must be explained clearly and accurately to affected employees. To lower the danger of legal challenges or bad press, you can also create a risk mitigation plan.

The best way to communicate with employees

Communicate the right messages at the right time. There may be rumours flying around, so it’s important that you don’t keep people waiting for the official confirmation as this can be damaging to your employer brand in the long run.

Clear and concise communication is the key. There is no scope for beating around the bush.

You can soften bad news by giving specifics about why certain people were let go; the need for layoffs and how they will affect the company's operations and workforce should be justified.

When’s the best time to communicate layoffs?

Timing has a heavy influence on the effectiveness of your layoff communication plan.

Whilst it may not always be that straightforward, it is common courtesy to communicate with impacted employees individually before sending out the wider layoff communication email - and this will be a positive move for your employer brand. The best people to have these difficult conversations will be the direct line managers.

Additionally, try to avoid giving false hope by saying things like, "You may still have a job tomorrow." You don't know what will happen next week, so don't promise anything unless you know it's true!

In the event of a mass layoff, it is the responsibility of senior leadership to inform all employees about the layoffs and organisational changes. Before sharing the information with the rest of the staff, if it is a small layoff, let the affected employees know first. 

Addressing your employees’ concerns

Make an open line of communication from which you can address any concerns or questions your employees will inevitably have.

This entails recognising the psychological effects of the layoffs and offering assistance and support to the impacted workers. Additionally, employers ought to provide channels for feedback and inquiries so that they may understand and tackle any issues that workers may have.

Considerations for the remaining employees

After layoffs have been made, it is critical to keep in touch with your team members who weren’t laid off.

Be open, reassuring and offer support when needed. It’s vital to be considerate of their potential worries, such as rising workloads and job security. You may have to consider several tactics for managing change in your organisation, such as hiring temporary staff in order to ensure you’re able to maintain business continuity.

Contact us to hire your temporary staff to handle changes in the workplace.

To help the business get through difficult circumstances, your remaining employees' morale and productivity must be kept high.

Effective layoff communication eases any worries

The most important thing to remember is that your employees need to know what's going on, especially when it's not good news.

It's your responsibility as a manager or HR professional to make sure they understand what's happening and why. It's only human that employers provide enough support for employees who lose their jobs on how to cope with the layoffs; an effective layoff communication plan will ease this journey.