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Comment by bartread | Hacker News Reader

> This is one of the hardest messages I’ve ever had to send.

Layoffs are something of a fact of life but, seriously, executives need to stop saying things like this when they announce them. Nobody gives a damn how company leaders feel in these situations, least of all the people receiving the message - nor should they.

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I remember reading a blog post about how to do lay offs once. I can’t find it anymore but it was essentially don’t make it about yourself. It leaves a bitter taste in their mouth. Wish I could find it.

When I've had to separate with employees, I never brought feelings into it. I kept it fact-based as possible for a multitude of reasons. Most of all, respect for the employee.

https://a16z.com/2020/03/31/planning-and-managing-layoffs/

Thank you so very much. This is what I've been searching for.

In March 2020 when the pandemic lockdowns hit, my CEO literally cried as he told us on Zoom we had to furlough our friends and take a pay cut. He did not hide it in an email or call attention to how it made him feel. What he did do was bust his ass to bring back every one of those employees a few months later. The actions of truly caring people are so much greater than the empty posturing of failing amateurs running toy businesses.

I mean in the modern capitalist society is having a CEO cry when they fire someone required? I’ve survived many layoffs but wouldn’t have been upset if my manager or leadership simply stated the facts.

Meh. If they did it the otherway then people would roast them for being cold or whatever.

I'd say that depends on the audience. If you were still working at Bolt, for instance, and the CEO did not indeed feel anything, you'd probably be a little spooked that they seem like a sociopath.

At the same time, it is such a copy-paste statement that it's unlikely to elicit much confidence in its veracity, but still, the absence of it would not be taken well I'd imagine.

It depends imho on the severance terms. If the company has decent ones then the message is "this hurts me and I did everything to cushion the blow for you" If the company has bad ones then the message is "let's make a hundred people losing their livelihoods about how a multimillionaire feels but isn't willing to give up any of those millions."

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