How to Prepare Your Complete Layoff Communication Plan

It’s important for your organization to develop a layoff communication plan template for standardized use across all departments and functions in the event of a layoff or reduction in force (RIF). There are several reasons why your organization might conduct a layoff. For example, executives might conduct company-wide layoffs due to budget issues, a lost business account might cause a reduction of the employees working on said account, a merger could create the need to downsize secondary functions, or a department may decide to outsource.

To make sure that any of these situations are handled within company policy, and to uphold ethical standards, a layoff communication plan is essential. Your HR department should work on creating a standardized layoff communication plan template that includes: a communication timeline, scripts for layoff notifications, press releases, and communications to be sent out to the entire organization.

In this article, we’ll go through each of the components of a thorough and customizable layoff communication plan template to ensure you are fully prepared for your notification event.

The most important step to take in preparation for your reduction event is to outline your layoff communication plan for notifying your organization of the upcoming changes. A good layoff communication plan needs to prepare your team to communicate different things to various people, depending on their role. There are also several items that you will be required to include in your organization’s layoff communication plan template. So let’s go through the most important of these items and what they should entail.

First and foremost, it’s essential to have a layoff script for all of your layoff notification givers to train them on how to deliver the notification and handle the various responses that could result. This layoff script can provide clarity on how to best approach each notification, and ensure that your organization has a standardized approach. You can click below to download our free layoff script to help you get started building your own layoff communication plan template.

Your HR team needs to be fully prepared with what to say during a layoff event. They should be able to answer questions about company benefits such as healthcare, financial planning, and outplacement. They should also be prepared on how to answer serious inquiries about mental health or company foul play in lieu of the stress of layoffs.

It’s also important that your executives know about layoffs early on to prepare for the impact that could have on their own departments. Make sure to have a standardized email to notify them in your layoff communication plan template. They should also be prepped on what to say during a layoff, particularly on how to speak in public or to the media, as that can have a major impact on the employer brand, reputation, and financials.

Depending on the size and functions affected by the layoffs, it can be incredibly valuable to send out communications notifying the entire organization of the change. This includes communicating layoffs to remaining employees, giving them guidelines on what to say during the layoff event, and explaining how it will impact their work processes, projects, and data.

Your organization should have a company policy that lays out the standard timeline for notifications during layoff events. For example, you could set a standard layoff event timeline that consists of six weeks. In the first week, you would notify executives and prepare documentation. In the second week, you would notify the entire organization.

Then in the third week, you would deliver the individual notifications. Make sure these individual layoff notifications follow all local, state, and federal laws, such as WARN Act notice requirements, and be sure to work closely with your legal counsel on this step.

Following these individual layoff notifications, that leaves three weeks (or more if you so choose) for the employees being laid off to wrap up loose ends at your organization and begin their search for new work, ideally with the aid of outplacement support.

When an employee is laid off, HR should provide them with a document listing their benefits upon their exit from the organization. This part of the layoff communication plan template ideally includes a fair severance package, available outplacement services, how to draw out money from a 401K, etc.

Prepare a policy that will instruct your remaining employees on specifically how to engage with negative publicity about the layoff, both in person and online. This aspect is often overlooked, but it can be one of the most important parts of a layoff communication plan due to the long-term effects of negative publicity on employer brand and culture. Your remaining employees are a vital part of this, and should therefore be prepared to help keep their organization strong through this difficult time.

As you outline your layoff communication plan template, one of the most important things to prepare is a sample layoff letter that it is readily available to customize for different types of events. This will help you compose all of the specific layoff announcements and notifications you need for your next reduction event.

The language in your layoff notice letters will vary depending on the specific circumstances of the layoff event and the people you are notifying. For example, we have more helpful articles, complete with layoff announcement email samples, if you are conducting a voluntary or temporary layoff. You can explore these layoff communication plan examples for help composing your layoff announcements in these situations.

We also have additional layoff letter templates you can use as guidance if you’re preparing to announce a layoff event due to restructuring, lack of work, or budget cuts. Whatever the situation, make sure your layoff communication plan provides guidance on the structure, language, and delivery for any layoff notification letters you will need.

To help you create these elements for your layoff communication plan template, remember to download our free layoff script, as well as our essential guide to handling a layoff with best practices for every step of your reduction event.

At Careerminds, we believe that you can never be too prepared for your next reduction event. Our arsenal of layoff resources, templates, guides, and industry-leading outplacement services can help you navigate the delicate layoff process. Click below to speak with one of our experts and see if we are the right partner for your organization.

Rebecca Ahn

Rebecca is a writer, editor, and business consultant with over 10 years of experience launching, managing, and coaching small to midsize companies on their business, marketing, and HR operations. She is a passionate people advocate who believes in building strong people, teams, and companies with empowering culture, content, and communication that facilitates meaningful results at every level and touchpoint. In her spare time, Rebecca is an avid traveler and nomad who also enjoys writing about travel safety and savvy. Learn more on her LinkedIn page.