Layoff Damage Control Focus: Employee Morale
Lowered employee morale is an unwanted (and often unavoidable) consequence of a mass layoff. Retained employees can feel various emotions, including:
- Loss or guilt over colleagues who were laid off
- Insecurity about their future with the company
- Increased stress due to a heavier workload
To maintain employee moral and loyalty, you must reaffirm the remaining employees' value to the company, and refocus them on company objectives and goals (using incentives if possible).
Immediately after a layoff, you should facilitate a company-or department-wide meeting to discuss the layoffs and provide a forum for employees to ask questions and air concerns.
Thereafter, you should hold periodic meetings to maintain this dialogue with employees and follow up on the company's direction and achievement. Being honest and inspiring confidence in the company's future will help preserve employees' allegiance.
Modern Business Associates frequently deals with HR issues. As a Professional Employee Organization, our clients rely on us to help them effectively deal with these kinds of topics including designing layoff communications to preserve employee morale.
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