How to Layoff Employees without Sacrificing Compassion

Most business school classes fail to cover how to layoff employees. Perhaps at one time business instructors covered this topic, but you must admit this is an unpopular, if not taboo, subject. Most students do not want to know how to layoff employees. They cannot imagine themselves doing it. But the sad truth is that not knowing how to layoff employees properly can hurt your career. You must conduct layoffs in the right manner.
Tips on How to Layoff Employees

Laying off employees emotionally traumatizes all people involved. The process creates stress not only for the employees but also for you, as the manager. It creates a toxic work environment and bad feelings all around. You will be under a microscope as the remaining employees will carefully watch everything you do. If handled badly, you will have productivity and morale problems for months.
Getting Through Employee Layoffs with Your Skin On

To be effective and lessen problems, you must organize all the details ahead of time. You must have severance packages, layoff letters, explanations of benefits, and all other relevant documents prepared and ready to go. Make corporate outplacement services available to your departing employees. Outplacement services will soften the blow and offer compassionate support to help your former employees. This will affect how your remaining employees view you.

Also make sure that you deliver the bad news. Do not shove the dirty work onto someone else's shoulders. You are the boss and you need to deliver the message and stand with your employees when you do so. Know what you are going to say and say it compassionately. These are your friends and coworkers. You owe it to your employees to be the one to spread the news.

Finally allow yourself and the remaining employees to grieve and react after the layoff. Your remaining employees have lost their friends and coworkers. They will be concerned for those who have lost their jobs, especially since they have done nothing wrong. Remind yourself, and your workers, that this is not personal. It is a business decision to preserve or restructure the company for those who remain. Conducting layoffs is never an enjoyable task, but you and your employees can get through it if you do it properly.

This is our recommend step-by-step procedure on how to layoff employees