Guides for HR leaders

How to lead a layoff with humanity, dignity and care

How someone leaves matters as much as how they were hired. These guides show HR leaders how to plan a layoff, deliver the news and support everyone after, with the care people deserve.

A layoff is a hard day. It doesn't have to be a bad one.

The law sets the minimum: the notices, the deadlines, the final pay. Every guide here covers that, checked against the law and the research. But each one is really about what goes above it: how people are told, how they are treated, and whether anyone is there for them when the conversation ends.

What we believe

Six principles behind every guide

Tell people in person, by a person. Face to face or on a live call. Never by email, a group call or a locked laptop. Read more
Tell the truth, kindly. One honest reason, said plainly. And "I don't know yet" when that is the truth. Read more
No one leaves alone. Support that reaches each person within the first hour, and stays until they land. Read more
Every person deserves the same care. One person or a hundred, a new hire or an executive. Read more
Care for the people delivering the news. Managers are people, too. Prepare them, and support them after. Read more
Remember the people who stay. They are watching how their colleagues are treated, and deciding whether to stay. Read more

Before: plan with care

The decisions made weeks earlier decide how the day feels.

Planning checklist Layoff planning checklist: the 60 days before Plan for each person, not just each position, including those who are remote, on leave or on a work visa. Read the guide Communication guide How to communicate a layoff when AI is the reason Tell the truth about the reason, kindly, and never let people feel their skills no longer matter. Read the guide Compliance guide State WARN laws beyond California What each state requires, and how to use the notice period so it truly helps people prepare. Read the guide California compliance guide California WARN Act 2026: SB 617 and SB 951 What the new laws add to every notice, and why the notice is the start of your care, not the end. Read the guide

The day: deliver the news with dignity

What is said in the first two minutes can be remembered for years.

HR guide Preparing managers to deliver layoff news Prepare managers to be human, not to read a script, and care for them, too. Read the guide Manager guide How to prepare for a layoff conversation Say it clearly and kindly, make room for the person's reaction, and never leave them alone after. Read the guide Remote work guide Remote and video layoffs: the legal and human side One person, one private call, never a locked laptop, and support that reaches them at home that same hour. Read the guide HR checklist Letting one employee go: a checklist for the day One person deserves the same care as a hundred, from the week before to the week after. Read the guide

After: support the people who leave, and the people who stay

How you treat the people who leave is how the team that stays will trust you.

Leadership guide The team that stays Grief, guilt and fear are normal. How to rebuild trust in the hours, days and first 30 days after. Read the guide Buyer's guide What outplacement costs, and how to choose a provider Choose support that treats every person with care, starts the same day and lasts until they land. Read the guide Executive guide Outplacement for executives A senior title doesn't make the day easier. How to support a leader with respect and discretion. Read the guide

Beyond the guides

You don't have to do this alone

Doing this with care takes planning, preparation and support that starts in the first hour. That is the work we do.

Layoff Planning & Execution helps you plan the timeline, the message and the day, and prepares every manager before they deliver the news. Transition & Career Coaching gives each person leaving their own coach, from the first hour until they land.

See Layoff Planning & Execution Let's Talk