Thursday, May 07, 2020
The Right Way
There is no perfect way to lay off employees that doesn't strike at their core of self-worth. Airbnb's CEO, however, has chosen a better path. He told his employees the situation the company is in during the pandemic in clear and straightforward language. He told them he is laying off 25 percent of the workforce. He told them he wasn't sure when, or if, he could rehire them. He told them the size of their severance plan and the length of their medical coverage -- one year. Finally, he told them the reduction in force is not their fault but the result of business conditions turned upside down. It is a simple, complete statement without ambiguity. Many an executive might wish to write as well. There are times when leaders need to stand, take responsibility for their organizations and deliver bad news. Sometimes it is in the cost of lives -- as generals do. Other times, it is the cost of jobs -- as CEOs face. There shouldn't be qualing, obfuscatory language, anything but straight talk. Once delivered, action should follow swiftly. There is little good in letting employees hang and hope the knife is not meant for them. Layoffs are ugly -- always.
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