Tom Corfman believes an organization’s toughest times should be met with the best writing communicators can muster. He’s a senior consultant with RCG where he directs the Build Better Writers program.

A memo announcing a big layoff is like a funeral eulogy. It’s for the survivors, not the departed.

We recognize the contributions of those who have been terminated to help the rest of the employees move forward.

Workers’ emotions run high after layoffs. They are losing work friends, worrying about their own futures and questioning the competence of the senior leadership team, which many believe got the company in this mess.

Just this month, Peloton, Pixar, Spirit AeroSystems, Lucid Motors, Tesla, Under Armour and Walmart were among the companies that announced layoffs, according to a running report by Business Insider. Good thing there isn’t a recession!

Employees who were let go this month will likely look for a new job on Indeed, which on May 13, 2024, laid off about 1,000 people, or 8% of its workforce, give or take.

Messages announcing job cuts are likely the most closely read and widely shared communication by employees in every organization. Every word counts.

“Layoffs are painful,” Laurie Tennant, a principal in Northwest Venture Partners wrote in 2022, “but you can communicate them compassionately.”

We have seven tips on what should, and should not, be in a memo announcing a major workforce reduction.

1. Prepare employees. Employees should regularly be briefed on the overall state of the business by the CEO, senior leaders and managers. That’s especially true when the financial performance is struggling. That way, if layoffs come, they will be less of a shock.

That’s the approach that Pixar President Jim Morris took when the company laid off 175 people, or 14% of its workforce. His May 21 memo began:

I have spoken to you many times over the last year about our pending move away from series production for Disney+, the return to our focus on feature films, and the reduction in our team that would accompany that. That day is here, and while it is not coming as a surprise to anyone, it is one of the hardest changes we’ve had to make, as it means we will be parting with a number of talented and dedicated colleagues and friends.

Of course, Morris’ conversations led to news media reports in January about the possible layoffs. The communications team should be prepared for that.

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