Layoffs
Guidelines and Alternate Phrases
Begin with a summary of the situation and the reasons and then announce the layoff. Be truthful, objective, and clear.
Whitney Mitchell’s merger with Bromson, Inc., has initiated many staffing changes as we have tried to eliminate duplicate services during the past three months. Your position is one of those now being affected by the changes. Effective May 1, your division will be laid off under the provisions of our workforce-reduction policy.
The reality of our business is that we must continually evaluate our needs from all regions of the country. Market demands constantly change. While we have a surplus of technicians in one geographic location, we have a shortage in another. Your area now has the surplus, and we regret your position will be eliminated on May 1.
You are a member of a work division that has been determined surplus. In order to help reduce this surplus, the company is eliminating your current position and asking you to accept voluntary early retirement benefits.
Certainly, we’ve all watched media reports of the current recession and how it has affected jobs in our local area. The fact is now the recession has spread to our industry and our own corporation. We regret your own plant will close its doors, effective May 1, and your employment with Hemlay Corporation will be terminated as part of this plant-closing action.
We have today taken difficult but necessary steps to achieve substantial cost reductions required by a continuing decline in advertising revenue. We have found it necessary to terminate 22 full-time and 13 part-time positions. Your position is one that has been eliminated.
We have taken steps today to reduce our work force, steps fully consistent with our mission and its requirements. When times are good, it is easy to forge ahead; the test of a solid company is how well it can manage when times are not so good. We are doing our best to continue to provide quality service for our customers.
Show concern for the effect of the layoff on the individuals involved and the larger community. You may want to elaborate on other alternatives, such as early retirement options, that you considered in lieu of the layoff.
As you recall, we have tried to reduce our staffing costs by offering two early-retirement options, but the present layoff has become necessary because we did not have sufficient numbers of volunteers who elected to leave the company under the early-retirement plan. We want to make every effort to help you find suitable employment elsewhere.
We regret this action has become necessary, but we must also consider what’s best for our shareholders and the future of all our employees and company operations.
Your individual efforts have assisted us in reaching organizational goals through the years, and our only regret is we could not reach our cost-reduction goals without this layoff action.
Such reductions are always most difficult on those employees terminated, and then also on the community as a whole. We as a community have always rallied around our large corporations as leaders in civic projects that have improved the quality of life for all citizens. Belt-tightening is painful for all of us involved.
These terminations were made with great reluctance, and only after other economies, such as holding vacancies and an early-retirement incentive program, failed to yield sufficient savings.
Mention any available help the organization can provide, such as outplacement services, referrals, continuation of benefits for a limited time, and so forth. Give details about continuation or cessation of benefits such as medical coverage or use of company vehicles.
We can continue to provide you with an office and a telephone for job-hunting purposes during the next 30 days.
We have arranged with Borden Consulting to provide outplacement services.
We have circulated a list of names and job titles to our subsidiaries to determine if they have openings where they could use employees being terminated in our area. We encourage you also to make your own inquiries about such unexpected openings in other parts of the country.
You will still have available for the next 30 days the company car for your personal use.
All your health insurance coverage will still be in force during this transition time. The insurance company will contact you directly to….
You, of course, are entitled to unemployment compensation under the regulations and policies of the State.
Please be assured we can give you the highest recommendations for jobs you may choose to pursue.
To help you in finding another job as soon as possible, we are maintaining three vacant offices (C100-103) for those affected by this layoff to use in telephoning prospective employers, typing résumés, and making copies for mass mailings.
End with an expression of appreciation and concern for their future well-being.
Thank you for your past achievements with us; we wish you well in your future job.
Whatever career plans you may have, we wish you the best.
Whatever you ultimately decide about transfers or termination, I want to wish you the best with your plans.
We have every confidence in your future with another company.
We wish you the best in finding a job that affords you many opportunities for advancement.
Thank you for your work here. We know you will find a job you enjoy elsewhere.
We have appreciated your patience, support, and cooperation during this difficult time.
I would like to thank you for your loyalty and to express our best wishes for a bright and rewarding future.
Thank you for your fine work here. Please accept our best wishes for your future employment elsewhere.
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