Those at the top refuse to stare the consequences of their actions in the eye. A tale as old as time.
If you take on a leadership position, don't be a coward like this. Even if the layoff is due to things beyond your control.
If you take on a leadership position, don't be a coward like this. Even if the layoff is due to things beyond your control.
The same rules apply to taking remote workers on.
Slow and gradual onboarding with care and nurture to take them on.
Careful individually planned offboarding to help them transition.
It's hard to do and doesn't positively impact bottom line initially but it avoids resentment in the vertical(market) which is super important for long term growth.
This doesn't work when you need to make large changes to an org.
I've seen first hand how different styles of this work.
When it's done 'carefully and individually', and keeps happening over days (because that's what it takes) - everyone else in the company starts wondering if they're impacted, and it becomes this slow-moving horror show. Another person gets tapped on the shoulder, called into a room and let go. Meanwhile the business expects things to continue as normal, but it doesn't and even normal meetings become a source of anxiety.
While it's never pleasant to be told you're being let go - at least if you can do it in larger groups and get it over and done with as soon as possible you reduce the level of anxiety and uncertainty.
Not to say that a pre-recorded video, voice mail or text message is the way to go, but still.
I've been in an office during an in-person layoff situation (surprisingly only once during my 15+ year career), and they were definitely taking advantage of it being done in person.
Every manager called every single worker personally to relay the news, for a general well-being check in, and to answer any questions about UI benefit filing. Each manager has also personally checked in once a week to see how things are going, and to provide updates, and said they will continue to do so for the next 5 weeks they plan to be closed.
... and that's a non-union, publicly traded company.
I've been an employer for 20 years. They come and go and quite right too. I encourage my troops that if they are looking elsewhere then we'll give them time off for interviews and assistance in how to interview effectively. I really am not joking. If you think you own someone completely then your name is Satan! I just want a decent day of work out of you, when you want to work for me. If you no longer want to work for me then I want to get rid of you as efficiently and as fairly as possible ...
A) stay on and help integrate an external team for up to 16 weeks (reduced hours, freedom to interview and apply elsewhere) B) stay on and wrap up the current sprint and tidy up some documentation for up to 8 weeks C) finish out the week and receive 6 weeks separation pay. All options also allowed me to keep insurance until I found a new position as well as keep my company provided tech. It really made me appreciate the people at the company overall, minus the person who was making the changes (which has since been canned and some of the engineering efforts at the company have stalled which is sad)
Everyone I hired I hired remotely, without ever meeting in person. In the two instances I had to let people go I did it remotely. The same way I hired them, the same way I’ve had people quit.