Layoffs are one of the most difficult challenges any organization faces. While sometimes necessary for business survival, how they're handled can significantly impact both departing employees and those who remain.

There’s no easy way to announce layoffs, but you can do it respectfully. You need to consider the emotional and practical aspects while maintaining the company’s integrity and respecting your employees’ dignity. Here is a rundown of how you can navigate this sensitive situation.

Take Time to Understand the Human Impact

Before planning when or how to announce layoffs, it’s important to understand the impact they will have on your staff's lives. Layoffs aren’t just a way to keep the company afloat — they affect people who are dependent on their income to survive and support their families. To understand this impact, ask yourself how you’d like to be approached or spoken to in this situation and what would help you feel seen and your worries understood.

When you understand the impact this decision could have on you, you’ll have empathy for your workers. Understanding empathy is crucial in human impact because it’ll guide every form of communication you have with the team from the onset of the layoff process. Showing it during this time doesn’t indicate weakness — rather, it shows you respect their concerns about the future.

Plan the Time for Sharing This Information

The worst time to share unfortunate news is before a special occasion or holiday or at a corporate event like a seminar, where your team can’t take a breather to acknowledge the situation because people surround them. Read the room before sharing the news and look at aspects of who needs to know, when the announcement should be made to avoid disruption, and how the message should be delivered to reflect the dignity and integrity of the staff and your enterprise.

If you’re not directly speaking to the employee who will be laid off, delegate the task to a manager who has built a rapport with them. Make sure your spokesperson properly reflects the brand and maintains the same sentiment you would if you were delivering the message.

Before speaking to the person, have a meeting with their managers and prepare them to be emotionally supportive when their team finds out. Your managers are crucial in the layoff process because they're responsible for ensuring the workday continues after the unfortunate news is delivered.

Use Empathetic Tone and Language

In moments where your words will affect the livelihood of someone, using the right ones matters. The peak-end rule states that everyone has their version of what happened, but they’ll typically focus on the highlight and how things ended. Consider that what you say will cause a lasting effect, so use words that aren’t vague corporate jargon.

Bad news usually causes stress, which makes it difficult for the worker to grasp the situation immediately. Use simple, direct and supportive words to help them comprehend what you’re saying.

While you’re using supportive words, try not to sound overly positive. Remember — the news you’ve just shared has shaken someone's mindset and they’re trying to calculate how to survive. Instead of using phrases like “Look on the bright side,” be empathetic and gentle by reminding them that they’re valuable and validating their feelings with words like “I understand this news is upsetting.”

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Deliver the Message Thoughtfully

The “how” in your message determines the way it’s received. This is where your empathy, tone and language are pivotal. Consider the setting, timing, and tone of the environment and what you’ll tell them. When speaking to the staff member, ensure you maintain eye contact, whether it’s a video call or in person. Emails feel impersonal and, regardless of the situation, how you deliver a message will reflect the integrity of the business.

Prepare what you’re going to say and avoid small talk because it catches them off guard, which can feel more daunting. While you’re sharing this news, allow room for reaction. If you see the employee is feeling uncomfortable, ask if they need a moment or if you can get a glass of water for them. This shows awareness of your respect toward the sensitivity of the situation.

Lastly, always assure them that the company looked through several avenues before making this decision, and it’s not about their performance but rather the situation at hand. Also, try not to overpromise. Being supportive toward the person and helping them through the next steps of the process is important, but stay away from making promises like “when we can afford you, we will call you.” Focus on what you can afford to bring comfort to them, like severance packages and clarity on their last day or paycheck.

Show Support to Everyone

You can show your support practically and emotionally. Practically, offer support through written documentation. This helps the laid-off employee clearly work out their next step. Your HR team can offer a severance package where the team member can receive a lump-sum payment, outplacement support and health insurance continuation.

Emotionally create an environment where they feel safe to voice their feelings. Layoffs can feel like an isolating process between those who are staying and those who are leaving.

Those who stay may experience survivor’s guilt, where they feel remorse and anxious about whether they could be next. On the other side, the person who was laid off may feel like they don’t belong on the team anymore. Foster an environment that reminds everyone why they matter and that their performance is appreciated.

Be Present and Listen

Being present and listening is an ongoing response in the layoff process, from the announcement until the worker leaves. Once you’ve shared the news, be present in the conversation and its aftermath. Ask if they have any questions and answer them as best you can throughout the process — this shows you genuinely care about their concerns.

Remember to show empathy in your responses and abide by the company’s policy, morals, and values. Listening to your employee is a soft skill and as important as sharing the layoff news. In some cases, they may react negatively and blame you or the company. Remain calm and focus on understanding that it’s not a personal attack.

Instead of defending, validate and acknowledge the person's anger and concerns with words like “it’s OK to feel this way, we didn’t want this either, and we understand how upsetting this is.” Lastly, be present with your team, providing reassurance for those who are staying and leaving.

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Define Layoffs with Integrity

Layoffs aren’t easy, but how you navigate through the process will either hurt or help the staff member as they close one chapter and open another. It's more than a job — it’s their livelihood, so approach the situation with empathy, honesty and respect.

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