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Layoffs: HR's Moment of Truth

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Kirti Masurkar Aug 23, 2010 6:22 AM GMT i went thru ur article,it reflects what is the role of HR during layoff and how it can lessen the pain on the employees given pink slip. however, i would like what is the role of the HR team towards those employees who has survived the layoff trail. how can they motivate them? what r their roles and responsibilities during the post layoff stage?
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Emuna26 May 20, 2009 8:07 PM GMT poorly handled layoffs lead to the poor morale of and performance by retained employees. Human resources departments are indeed valuable and set the tone upon entry into the business setting, and they're the last people one sees on the way out.
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Becky Regan Mar 17, 2009 3:30 PM GMT As someone who managed two selective layoffs and one plant shut down of 330 employees, the challenge is to manage a very difficult task in the best possible way. Truly it's HR's moment to make a real difference.
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Amy Jennifer Friedman Mar 16, 2009 3:23 AM GMT It is in fact the majority of exceptional HR people today that do everything in their power to influence managers of departing people to deliver the messages directly and with dignity. They consistently meet resistence because it is human nature for managers to avoid and run from conflict which leads to chaos during downsizings. It is the HR executives who continuously educate senior management and leaders to handle departures with a level of professionalism that will make future employees want to work for their company.It is time to stop making HR the scape goat!
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Susan Mar 12, 2009 3:15 PM GMT We are witnessing huge corporations calling employees to a room away from their departments, sitting with a manager, but not theirs, a security person standing in the room, and told their job is gone.Then immediately escorted out of the building.Some have a rotating staff of managers who take the list and give them the news, no discussion, no good job, thanks for your service, just you no longer have a job here. This person will now escort you out the door. And it is becoming that sterile. Other corps have gone into a training room, where employees are in session, been told this is it, here is a plane ticket back home, bye. They were told to leave everything on the table and leave. Pick up the ticket as you exit.It is no longer a friendly, thanks for your service, thanks for your years, sorry it has to be you--it is now, we will escort you out the door. No notice, just gone. Very sterile. All of this is lending itself to poor performance and morale with retained employees. They realize there is no value to them as people.
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Jim Mar 12, 2009 2:46 PM GMT What a bunch of hypocrites. Welch's GE has the worst HR department in the industry. They regularly frog-march employees out the door without bothering with exit interviews. They hide behind their gigantic corporate anonymity to consistently screw ex employees out of 401k savings and pension benefits. GE is the poster child for corporate greed and racketeering. Amazingly these guys are bigger crooks than Bernie Madoff and they continue to get away with it. I guess it helps to own a cable tv business network to shill for you and cover your tracks.
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Jeff S Mar 12, 2009 1:33 PM GMT The reason a colleague might call the departed is so he can get the number for his discrimination lawyer "just in case".
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Steve Expat Mar 12, 2009 8:45 AM GMT Ok HRs are a joke. A few years ago I completed an international assingment and went home to await a new assignment. A HR clerk called and her words were "you are terminated and get two weeks severance." "Goodbye"That was the last I ever heard from anyone at that firm. About 4 years later a company lawyer called and asked if I could help on a $20 million arbirtration case that I knew everything about. I said sure send me check for $100,000 today and I will help. They lost case and $20 million
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