Well …
If in person is logistically impossible, then preferably notified by phone, followed by something in writing. I’ve had to fire some people (in person) in the past due to corporate downsizings. What surprised me was how submissively the news was received. I always assumed that the people who were fired somehow knew in their hearts that their terminations were imminent.
Like all business decisions I make, I rely on Bob Powell and Bob Slydell to give me guidance.
Peter: "You’re gonna lay off Samir and Michael?
Bob: “Oh yeah, we’re bring in some entry-level graduates, farm some work out to Singapore, that’s the usual deal.”
Bob: “Standard operating procedure.”
Peter: “Do they know this yet?”
Bob: “No! No, of course not. We find it’s always better to fire people on a Friday. Studies have statistically shown that there’s less chance of an incident if you do it at the end of the week.”
Sorry, Bob Porter. :smack:
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Not you any more! Ha ha!
Personally I prefer to receive bad news by email, so I can shout “FUCKING CUNTBAGS” in private, perhaps followed up by phone call to express commiseration and check I’m not throwing things. But the vast majoirty of people prefer it in person, ie. Person, phone, handwritten in that order. What does matter, is to put a bit of effort into it, which showing up shows. There’s nothing worse than
Dear [Error, database unavailable]
Words cannot express my gratidute for you contribution, or my regret that…
[photocopied signature of secretary]
When I was laid off in 2002, my boss did it face to face on a Wednesday. That gave me a couple of days to file my unemployment claim and contact some job placement firms. It didn’t seem as stressful at the time for some reason. A few weeks later is when I started to stress out.
Does your company plan on giving these people a severance package? If not, you may put together a little package on unemployment offices in their area, job hunting tips etc. My old company paid for 3 months at a career training center, to help us do job searching and resumes. They also gave classes on how to do company research, how to start your own business, and skill sharpening classes. It was pretty amazing and it took the sting out of being laid off.
Hi,
the contract from which I was, uhm, delivered last month included 30-day warning whether it was me leaving the company or them laying me off (Spanish law for “permanent contracts”). But I got fired with my immediate boss on the phone from England, and two local bosses (not in my direct chain of command) in person with me, about 40 days before my last day. Spanish law also requires the company firing an employee “for reasons not linked to employee misbehaviour” to give the employee 6 hours a week off for job searching, talking to union’s lawyers, etc (Spanish unions are completely unrelated to the way US unions work)
I’d say do it in a Wednesday or Thursday; give them the option to take off part of the other days if they need the time to run related errands; after you’ve notified them by phone, send them the information by email, listing any benefits/jobsearch assistance provided by your company, any information you may have about unemployment services in their area, etc.
If any of them was taking courses under one of those company sponsored programs, they’ll need to know what happens with that as well.
I saw a LOT of people laid off during my stay at a high tech company, and it was always mid-week.
We knew when the IT dept was flagged for layoffs as our boss always had the same MO. He would wander the cubicals for a few minutes looking sad and then approach his target with same words “hey XXX, can I have a few minutes?”. It was like a sad fat Death with a white letter instead of a scythe.
Pointy-haired boss: “When should we do the layoffs?”
Catbert, evil director of human resources: “Experts say that Friday is the cruelest day of the week to fire people … So let’s do it Friday.”
PHB: “Friday is our employee appreciation day.”
Catbert: “AH-AH-AH-WOOOO!”
What a great way to start the day.
Actually, you know what? It isn’t even my job to fire these people. We reorganized a few months back and they aren’t even under me any more. But I offered to be the one to tell them the bad news because I wanted them to hear it from someone who cared about them, who knew them as people much more than their current supervisor, who would also not be able to tell them in person.
Yes, it’s true. A random person on the internet can make me feel like shit.
jsgoddess don’t worry about what an obviously illiterate/can’t bother to take the time to read the thread person says. It seems clear to me that you know the best thing is face to face but this is a situation in which that isn’t possible. That being the case, the next best method is by telephone in my opinion. That way the persons being let go get to hear it from somebody along with, I presume, the reasons why and what options are available through the company.
Good for you for volunteering to do this as a favor to those people being fired. That shows real character on your part.
Everyone who has a job step forward. Not so fast there Smith!
I’ve never been laid off, luckily - but I do think that it is really a nice thing you are doing to volunteer to do it. You know the people, and as much as it hurts to have to tell them the news, it’s better that they feel that they have someone that they can openly ask questions of - it might help the initial burst of anger/surprise.
Susan
Having been through a lay off, and all the depression and anxiety that goes along with it, my advice is to do it verbally, with a paper follow-up. The person on the receiving end is going to have a lot of questions, and not being able to get answers immediately will make things worse. Tell them over the phone, answer their questions, and send them a package ASAP with materials they will need on outplacement, COBRA, etc.
Question: If the effected people are remote, how will the company deal with closing out the locations? There’s always the chance that someone will go wacko and start breaking stuff…
“So, Bill, you going to work tomorrow?”
“Yeah.”
“Really? Where?”
On Friday, particularly late in the day, I can at least hope that most of the other employees that I know well are already gone and that I can just quitely pack up my stuff and leave without suffering the humiliation of having to do it in front of coworkers I like. There’s also the ‘I’ve got two days to sit on my ass, drink beer and be miserable before I have to start doing anything about the fact that I no longer have an income.’ aspect.
Oh hell no. On a Monday, it’s much more likely that coworkers I liked are going to see me leaving, packing up my stuff, knowing that I won’t be back on Tuesday. There’s also the immediate feeling of ‘I have no income and no job and I must get started on fixing that right now.’ feeling.
I wouldn’t ever want them to just wait until Monday so that it wouldn’t ‘ruin my weekend’, because after the did, I’d be imagining my boss knowing about it all weekend and just waiting to drop the axe until a time when I was smiling.
If someone fired me on a Wednesday and then told me that it was effective Friday afternoon, I wouldn’t be there Thursday and Friday. Do they actually expect you to show up for work for two more days when you’ve been fired?
Get a friendly fat guy to take them to a local bar for a beer. Have him cry over the prospect of firing them, to the point where they feel sorry for HIM.
Just don’t give the employer opportunity to claim that you left voluntarily. You will say byebye to unemployment if they can make it stick.
When I got layed off from my first teaching job, I heard about it on the radio. They were doing the local news and reporting on the previous evening’s school board meeting. So, on my way to work, I hear the newsguy say “…the board also voted not to renew the contracts of Scumpup, Suzy Spanishteacher, and Wally Woodshop due to declining enrollment.”
Maybe you could buy some commercial time on the station(s) the people you have to fire like to listen to and let them find out that way.
As I recall that sort of backfired.
My worst firing was a message left on my answering machine when I got home from work. After I had just bought a house. And had abdominal surgery. I think yours is still worse, Scumpup.
jsgoddess, I agree that over the phone is the best way to do it. If you can’t reach them, I suggest leaving a message for them to call you back. I’ve never felt as brushed off as getting that message to not come into work the next day.