Layoff Procedures

One of the least favorite parts of a manager's job is having to let an employee go, however, some employment terminations are unavoidable (Fallon & McConnell, 2007). In the unfortunate event of a business layoff, the manager should take great care in how this process is handled as it can send a powerful message to the remaining staff (Heathfield, 2016). Management should work closely with HR beforehand to ensure all organizational policies and procedures have been followed. Any termination should be handled in private where other employees cannot hear the conversation, thus, allowing the employee as much dignity as possible (Gunn, 2017).

Whatever guidelines the organization decides to use when preparing for a layoff, consistency is key (Gunn, 2017). A personnel policy should be in place in the event of needing to conduct a layoff. This should be in place well before the unfortunate

Also, this could be justified by documentation so no one will feel discriminated against. The criteria must be objective and measurable (Berezin, 2008). While some portions of the performance appraisal can be subjective, it is important to push these point aside when determining criteria for a layoff. Attitude and initiative are two things that are difficult to be objective with, so these should not be utilized for criteria for a reduction in force. However, in using objective criteria, the best performing and highly valued employees keep their job, while the underperforming employees do not make the cut. To avoid legal or discriminatory issues, consistency is key. This starts with the performance evaluation phase. This is why it is so important to be objective. Sure, no one wants to think about terminations, but in the event that one is necessary, management wants to make sure it is done as fair as possible. This starts with consistent, fair, and objective performance