Episode 08: Layoffs are hard, but they don’t have to be cruel.

Dec 23

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EPISODE GUEST: BRIAN ANDERSON, HRUPRISE COACH AND HR STRATEGIC PARTNER AT L. CAMPBELL CONSULTING

“The employer-employee, that’s a relationship. How would you handle ending a relationship?” asks Brian Anderson, HRuprise Coach and educator with over 20 years of high-level HR experience. In today’s episode of Problem Performers, Brian discusses the best practices for approaching layoffs, and how companies can handle them in a more compassionate and humane way.

Using the recent mass layoffs conducted by Better.com as a case study in what NOT to do, Brian explains that layoffs are a particularly emotional experience for both the employer and the employee. It is important to show goodwill to employees by offering a generous severance package, extending COBRA benefits, covering childcare, and/or providing employee assistance programs. Brian points out that the world is different than it used to be, and cancel culture can have profound and lasting effects on your business. It is in the employer’s best interest to be as humane and caring as possible to employees, especially when they are being laid off through no fault of their own.

Tune into this week’s episode of Problem Performers for a conversation with Brian Anderson and HRuprise founder Rebecca Weaver about how to navigate layoffs with empathy. Learn tactics for good communication around layoffs, how to avoid the pitfall of becoming “robotic” during tough conversations, and how employees can prepare if they suspect layoffs are coming.

QUOTES

“When someone goes through a layoff, there’s a lot of different emotions…shock, anger, whatever emotion that person gets to.. But then there’s this realistic, real-life, ‘How am I going to pay my bills? How am I going to feed myself?’...If you can provide some level of a severance, it does help impact the first emotion as well.” (16:18 -17:39)
“If I'm laid off, in my severance package, not only should it be hard cash, but extend my EAP (Employee Assistance Program) offerings. So I have the ability to at least get counseling. Something for my mental health….Let’s take a look at…outplacement services. Help me find something else. Give me three months of outplacement services so I can meet with someone to talk about resumes.” (20:14-21:07)
“One of the things that also hit me in terms of an interesting offering in severance that I’ve not seen in my many years of doing this would be extended childcare services…I think it’s really, really important.” (23:55-24:57)
“Cancel culture is real. It is real. It impacts people, organizations. And at the end of the day, it impacts dollars…Goodwill can create and generate revenue. I think organizations are not really understanding what…influence cancel culture can have on their bottom line. And a little goodwill, whatever that costs you, truly will create dividends. It really will.” (27:16-28:01)
“I allow leaders to have that emotion…The leader is also an employee…I always let leaders have some time to walk through their own emotion…Your first reaction might not be your final reaction. As a leader, go through that reaction. You’re mad, you’re angry, you’re sad. Let’s talk about it. Because in the actual conversation with your employee letting them know they’re being laid off, the way in which you express that is going to be extremely important to that person. I’ve seen leaders cry during the actual layoff… That’s not a good look.” (33:04-34:28)
“I think there’s this fear at times leaders have in terms of being robotic… ‘I want to make sure I say exactly what I’m supposed to say, I’m not being tape recorded, I’m not going to get sued, I’m making sure I’m giving the same message.’ So there’s this fear. And I think that, unfortunately, creates that robotic feeling. So the person who’s having this happen to them is like, ‘Wait a minute. I’ve eaten lunch with you. I’ve been over to your house. I know your children. This is how this is going to happen to me?’” (36:19-36:54)
“The employer-employee, that’s a relationship. They call it an employer-employee relationship. So if we just use that basic term, when people are thinking of how they handle conversations, how would you handle a conversation with someone you’re in a relationship with? I think it’s really key. One of the key things they talk about a relationship is communication. Communicate. Tell me why. Tell me often. Those are basics when you have an employer-employee relationship. It’s the same thing in layoffs. How would you handle ending a relationship? What’s the best practice in ending a relationship?” (43:11-44:00)
“I was one of these people, when I first started in HR many decades ago... ‘Hey, people need to come to work and leave their problems at home. They need to show up to work, to work.’ Guess what happened? People are actually working in their homes. Where are they supposed to leave their issues?” (49:30-49:52)