how do you manage employees after a layoff

How to help employees deal with guilt and fear after layoffs

Full Answer

What do you say to remaining employees after a layoff?

I want to tell you that we do not anticipate any additional layoffs this year. We are still assessing the financial and organizational situation and can't predict what will happen in the future. I know that you have questions and reactions to what I've said. Let me pause now and hear from you.

How do you handle layoff survivors?

Coping with layoff survivor sicknessRemain calm. When layoffs hit, the immediate reaction of those left behind is often panic. ... Recognize that survivor guilt is normal. ... Talk it out. ... Be honest and efficient. ... Unhook your self-esteem from your company. ... Empower yourself. ... Manage your stress. ... Maintain perspective.

How do you support employees during layoffs?

Here's how.Remember that work and life are interconnected. “Coworkers can become some of our closest friends, making work a trigger for pain,” says Jennifer Moss, author of Unlocking Happiness at Work. ... Be candid. ... Communicate consistently and transparently. ... Connect work to purpose.

How do you help your employees overcome survivor guilt after a layoff?

Fortunately, leaders can do four things to help their employees cope with survivor guilt following a layoff.Engage Every Day. You may not want to talk right now, but your employees probably do. ... Focus On Controllable Issues. ... Eliminate Wasteful Meetings. ... Prioritize All Activities In Terms Of Customer Value.

How do you build trust after layoff?

14 important measures to regain your team's trust after a company setbackBe humble and honest. ... Build a communal sense of ownership. ... Focus on candor. ... Foster an environment of transparency. ... Quickly show the path back. ... Connect with people individually. ... Share the good and the bad. ... Always give straight answers.More items...

What is the best way to handle layoffs?

Here's a better way to handle layoffs.Compassionate Layoffs The Right Way.Be transparent.Treat laid-off employees with dignity.Consider providing career transition support.Don't restructure in a vacuum.Express your thanks to surviving employees.

How do you deal with workplace survivor syndrome?

Workplace Survivor Syndrome: What it is and How to Face the...Communicate change. ... Bring in assistance. ... Reduce your expectations. ... Take note of their emotions. ... Fight the instinct to feel bad. ... Don't feel pressed to work harder. ... Maintain a healthy level of stress. ... Speak with your boss or line manager.More items...

What is the impact of a layoff on layoff survivors within the organization?

Survivors of layoffs perceived lower organizational performance, job security, affective attachment, calculative attachment, and had higher turnover intentions.

What does lay off survivor sickness usually involve?

You might be suffering from what author and consultant David Noer calls “layoff survivor sickness,” a toxic blend of anger, survivor guilt, fear and anxiety that can cause sleepless nights, sinking morale and plummeting productivity. ”It's the same process people go through when they survive car crashes,” says Noer, ...

Why are layoffs important?

Ostensibly, layoffs are conducted to ensure a company's long-term fiscal viability. But most layoffs are sufficiently mismanaged to permanently damage the company's morale, productivity and service. And that significantly reduces the likelihood that the company will ever return to its former self.

How to deal with survivor guilt after a layoff?

Fortunately, leaders can do four things to help their employees cope with survivor guilt following a layoff. 1. Engage Every Day. You may not want to talk right now, but your employees probably do. So be approachable, visible and candid.

How many hours a week should a leader spend with their employees?

And even when leaders can't spend the full six hours per week interacting with their employees, the study discovered that every extra hour a leader spends with their people increases engagement, inspiration and innovation.

Do layoffs have to be grateful?

There's an unfortunately pervasive myth that the employees who survive a layoff will be grateful that they still have a job, and thus work harder and be more productive. But that's dangerously wrong because many employees who survive a layoff will experience varying forms of survivor guilt. Typically associated with the feelings ...

Can you leave 100% of the work for 80% of the people?

You can't leave 100% of the work for 80% of the people, but you do need to preserve the really important activities. Eliminate all those activities that aren't important for customers, the government or safety. This way, you won't burn-out your remaining staff writing those 100-page internal reports that nobody ever reads.

Can layoffs deliver real savings?

It's also surprising how few executives pay attention to this issue. Layoffs won't deliver real cost savings if the layoff process is mismanaged. Offering laid-off employees severance packages and outplacement assistance is wonderful, but it misses arguably the most important group of employees; the layoff survivors. Leaders have to keep the surviving employees engaged and productive, or the company won't ever recover.

What to do after a layoff?

If you must let go of employees, immediately following a layoff, shift your focus from the business of downsizing to effectively creating a productive workplace that encourages thoughtful innovation. Particular positions may have been eliminated, but the workload hasn’t and may be higher, at least for awhile. Remaining employees and managers will need to find ways to modify processes and redistribute the workload. Involve everyone in the business of finding solutions and acknowledge the impact of the layoffs on teams, workloads, workflows and relationships. The same principle of efficacy applies.

Why is it important to be transparent with employees about layoffs?

When people are left out of the conversation, they tend to make up their own reality and the rumor mill enabled by social media can undercut HR’s ability to direct the message, maintain calm and promote authenticity, which is so crucial at this time.

How to know if a company is having financial difficulties?

Instead of remaining focused on how help the company remain profitable, employees spend time thinking about possible consequences of a layoff and may even start looking for other work in anticipation of losing their jobs. All this worrying can lead to an immediate drop in productivity that may not rebound until up to a year after the actual layoff event takes place, and in the current economy, that rebound could take even longer.

How can managers help employees?

During this period, managers can play a vital role in encouraging employees to stay focused on what they can control, instead of what’s outside of their control. This subtle change of attitude increases productivity as employees learn to work on creative solutions and their own professional development instead of worrying about what may or may not come to pass in the future. Managers who are transparent and honest about the current business climate will earn the trust of their employees. The right training will prepare managers to be effective coaches for employees in the event of a layoff or involuntary job transition.

Why should managers receive resiliency training?

As soon as cost-cutting measures are put into place, managers should receive resiliency training to prepare them to listen to their employees and offer appropriate support. The object of resiliency training is to teach managers how to acknowledge the change while providing relevant information without creating panic.

Why is it important to re-engage employees?

Redeploying employees, even temporarily to other roles, can help you address the dichotomy between a slowdown in one area of your business while there are shortages in other areas, and serves as a way to circumvent a layoff or reduce the number of employees affected by one. If there’s one truth borne out by the pandemic, it’s that employees have shown tremendous flexibility in adapting to new roles.

What is the last resort for a company to layoff employees?

Layoffs are usually the last resort for companies, ideally occurring after a concerted effort to curb spending, cut costs in other ways and offer employees alternatives such as voluntary separation or early retirement.

How long to regroup after layoff?

After the layoff notifications are complete, it’s advised to meet the remaining team members to regroup as soon as possible. Allow for at least 30 minutes. Make every effort to have all retained employees present. Choose a location that will be private and uninterrupted.

How to show respect to employees?

Embody respect for employees by being honest and straight with them. It’s okay to say you don’t know the answer if you don’t know the answer. Promote teamwork and collaboration. Be encouraging. Stress that this is the time for the whole practice to band together and move forward. Keep them informed of progress.

How to keep a client informed of progress?

Keep them informed of progress. Hold a follow up meeting to set new goals a few days later. Ask them how it’s going, what they need, what ideas they have. Even if you can’t accommodate them, asking shows you care.

Do laid off employees qualify for unemployment?

You may tell them that employees who are laid off will usually qualify for unemployment benefits.

Does a layoff end with unemployment?

Of course, a layoff doesn’t just end with informing the employees you had to let go, and the ensuing unemployment claims; it also requires a sensitive and thoughtful approach to informing your remaining team members of why the layoff was necessary and addressing their concerns and questions.

How to deal with a layoff?

Even if the RIF affects many people, managers should treat each person as if he or she is the only person being affected. Each employee deserves a private meeting with a manager, a chance to ask questions, and be informed of any transition support, verbally and in writing. Deliver the news with kindness and compassion, remembering that the layoff has a compounding effect on their family and future.

How to re-recruit employees?

This is the time to re-recruit remaining employees by reinforcing the support provided to those employees affected, and reaffirming the organization’s commitment to current staff. Enlist the help of employees so they can play a role in shaping the future. What are their hopes and concerns? What do they need to do their jobs well? Reassure them of their place with—and their value to—the organization to avoid losing them.

How to deal with RIFs?

RIFs are upsetting and difficult to deal with for everyone. Leaders and HR managers should not be expected to smile through it or attempt to make the situation more palpable than it is. Doing so might make light of the layoff’s impact and belittle people’s feelings. Acknowledge that it is painful for all employees—those being let go, those who are staying, and for the HR managers who have to implement the reduction. This is also a good time to be transparent about what is happening within the organization. Answering questions about why the reduction is necessary can help those left behind cope and move forward.

What is the future of work?

The Future of Work is here. Things like remote work, flexible work hours, learning being integrated into the work experience and upskilling are all happening before our eyes. Now, the Future of Work discussion must shift once again to figure out how to evolve the employee experience further and help humans integrate with technology in ways that will drive efficiency and the growth of new skills. Roles are changing, demands on the workforce are shifting and HR will be at the forefront of what the future of work looks like. Registering and attending this FREE ONLINE event will provide you real strategies for preparing your company and your employees now for the challenges that lay ahead. Challenges such as predicting the skills of the future, strengthening and sustaining the workforce through new digital technologies and fostering a cohesive corporate structure. Attendees will also be able to put their real questions to the speakers and get valuable, actionable feedback that can be used to plan your organization’s plan for the next 5, 10 and 20 years.

Why do leaders need a RIF?

But when a RIF is necessary, the process is made smoother and less painful for employees who remain, leaders, HR and even those being let go when it’s handled with skill and care.

Why do HR professionals need to be experts in conducting RIFs?

HR professionals need to be experts in conducting RIFs to ensure that the people affected are treated with respect and supported in making a smooth transition. When leaders handle the process well, they can also reinforce their commitment to remaining staff, and communicate the mission so that the organization continues to thrive.

What forced many C-suite officer and HR leader to make tough decisions about the size and structure of their workforce?

The pandemic forced many C-suite officer and HR leader to make tough decisions about the size and structure of their workforces. Following a year rife with layoffs and furloughs,