How to Lay Off an Employee Politely

Whether you’re a doctor who just lost a patient or a manager who has been designated to make some trimmings to the company workforce, there is nothing pleasant about being the conveyor of bad news. Although you can’t take away the distastefulness of the situation, being polite acts as a buffer, a form of shock absorber, that makes being fired much more tolerable for the employee(s). 

How to fire an employee nicely 

1. Set up a meeting

Select an appropriate time and place for this. Choose hours that allow for containment just in case things go haywire. A Friday afternoon would be a suitable time because the weekend gives room for the laid-off employee(s) to cool off and put things into perspective. Select a location that affords the affected employee(s) some privacy. A conference room or an enclosed office are suitable options. Don’t forget the documents- a letter of termination, pay check of salary arrears, everything you think the employee needs if they decide to be excused from the company premises immediately.

2. Prepare for emotional outbursts

A bit of emotional intelligence needs to be employed on your part. An employee may cry,  get enraged or put on a show after being let go. In order to keep emotions contained, do;

• Offer tissues, words of empathy or both. 

• Ascertain that they are not being let go due to incompetency, the company needed to downsize it’s workforce and unfortunately they are among those being let go. 

• Exude positive body language. Keep a firm but pleasant tone of voice, make eye contact, stand or sit up straight. 

• Avoid getting drawn into debates and arguments, that only complicates things.

• Take some time out to enable employees cool off if things get too heated, after which the meeting can be resumed. 

• Take caution to avoid getting emotional, keep a neutral stance. 

• Wish them all the best on future endeavors and if they they are close enough to you, offer to make efforts to get them new employment. That could be in the form of a written reference letter or making pitches to friends or acquaintances. 

3. Use a script 

In your head, it may seem like a piece of cake, but at the very moment you’re faced with eyes looking on expectantly, waiting for you to state the purpose of the meeting, you might feel like a cat caught your tongue. You might stutter and stumble over your words which only serves to heighten their curiosity and maybe tension of the atmosphere. How to prevent this? Prepare ahead of time. Write a script and practice. It may sound absurd, why prepare for something that isn’t that big of a deal. Truth is, you want your company and employees to part on a good note to avoid affecting company reputation and future hiring. Using a script might not guarantee things going 100% smoothly, but it makes a good contribution to the overall flow of the lay off meeting. 

Your script may go like this; 

Hello everyone

I called for this meeting in light of recent turn of events. The company has experienced a decline in the demand for our services and we’re falling short in business. 

*Pause*

This has called for some changes to be made and that includes changes to the size of our workforce. We have to downsize and unfortunately some employees will have to be let go. That’s why we called you here, we wish to inform you that your positions are being terminated. 

*pause to let information sink in* 

Here are copies of your termination letters. The HR representative would present you with any help you need to make the transition less rough. 

This brings the meeting to a close. We therefore wish you the best in your future endeavors. 

Things to note

• Avoid the use of ice breakers. There’s really no need for small talk to ease things,  just get right into it. In fact, making small talk can have a counter effect, it can make the blow hit harder. Softening a batter only to hit it hard will make it splatter. 

• If there are multiple affected employees, the announcement should be made at once. It’s better this way, it not only saves time, it can curb a possible uproar. 

• Even though you’re using a script, you don’t have to follow it to the T else you risk appearing rigid, detached or even meanspirited. 

Every company needs people in order to accomplish it’s goals. While you can’t befriend everyone, you shouldn’t actively pile on enemies, enemies which can take the form of bitter former employees that can act as roadblocks to future company successes.

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Also read: How to Make your Employees Enjoy Work