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It is often difficult for the management team to handle the lay-offs as the process comes with both guilt and anxiety. When lay-offs are inevitable, it is best to engage in the process of laying off by treating the fired employees with dignity.
The economic recession has kicked in, and its impact is visible in the form of mass lay-offs across organizations of different sectors. Laying off is as painful for the organization as it is for the employees. However, sometimes lay-offs are unavoidable.
It is often difficult for the management team to handle the lay-offs, as the process comes with both guilt and anxiety. When lay-offs are inevitable, it is best to engage in the process of laying off by treating the fired employees with dignity.
Here is a mini-guide to lay someone off gracefully.
Digital communication has made communication easier, but it is unacceptable in all situations. For instance, it is okay to inform the winner of a Lottery Sambad about the win through a text, but it is inappropriate to do the same when laying off someone.
Many organizations are scrutinized for informing employees about their lay-offs by email. There are better ways of managing the issue. It is best to have face-to-face communication to deliver the lay-off message to the person.
Do not use any digital communication while providing this piece of information.
Receiving the message of lay-off is always challenging for everyone. Different individuals might react differently in receiving the message. A few might accept it gracefully, while others might be extremely sad or angry. In such a scenario, it becomes vital to understand where these emotions are coming from.
Show empathy when you lay off your employees. If a physical disruption is not occurring, allow the employee to rant as long as they want. Please note that the lay-offs impact not only the employee, but also their families. Therefore, you can expect a strong reaction from their side.
Just because an employee is fired in no way justifies showing them the door straight away. It is recommended to sit with the employees and help them figure out the options available, including participation in Dhankesari or using resources available for the fired people.
If the employee is good at their work, offer an excellent reference to help them lay their hands on a new job as soon as possible. Also, please provide them with the resources they might need to smoothen the transition process.
It is crucial to ensure that you communicate about the lay-offs efficiently to all the employees in the organization. Avoiding this communication will foster an uncertain environment for the employees still working there. Uncertainty can keep all the employees at the edge and make them wonder when they will be fired.
It not only affects the productivity of the organization, but also affects the morale of the employees. Such a situation can also push other employees to seek new companies to join and leave the organization voluntarily.
Therefore, the organization should clearly communicate what the employees can expect.
Sometimes, as someone who needs to convey the message, it is tempting to blame the decision on others. Avoid doing it.
Even if it is a piece of information travelling top-down, avoid blaming any manager, department or decision. It is best to be diplomatic. Blaming others will do no good to anyone.
Managers play a vital part in the life of the employees working in any organization. This fact holds not only when the employees are working in the organization, but also after they are fired.
Encourage your organization’s managers to give out references and introduce the fired person to their network. Often, managers are the best resources to help employees find new jobs.
Lay-offs, especially massive lay-offs, are a huge shock for everyone. It can affect the mental health of the fired person and the remaining employees still working in the organization.
Collect feedback from the employees and give them the freedom to voice their concerns.
Having input regarding the same will help the organization deal with the challenging situation in a better way.
Even though downsizing an organization is difficult, it sometimes becomes the need of the hour. Employees remember how the organization supported them during tough times. Therefore, it becomes crucial to follow the dos and don’t for laying off to smoothen the process as humanly as possible.
Image source: SDI_Production via Getty Images, free on CanvaPro
Editor at Women's Web. She/They. 30. Bi. Bookworm. Comic book connoisseur. read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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