Compliance gets critical as modern layoffs get trickier

As layoffs become a subject of public discourse through social media, the approach to internal communications takes on a new level of scrutiny. The trend of employees sharing their layoff experiences online, sometimes garnering significant public attention, necessitates a conservative yet sensitive approach to communicating during employee transitions.

The act of employees recording and publicizing their layoff experiences presents a complex dilemma. On virtual calls employers are unlikely to stop such recording, yet these videos can become a PR nightmare as several businesses have recently seen.

This scenario demands a nuanced approach to narrative management during layoffs, focusing on authenticity and empathy rather than attempting to control the flow of information - which is no longer possible. This shift is as annoying as it is important in an era where the boundaries between private corporate decisions and public perception are increasingly blurred.

Tik Tok post where an employees botched layoff experience gained millions of views in the course of several days, creating a PR headache for her former company

The recent spate of layoffs across various industries warrants a revisit of basic compliance standards like adhering to the 60 day rule under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), ensuring fairness and non-discrimination through disparate impact analyses, revising severance agreements in accordance with legal standards, and guaranteeing the timely issuance of final paychecks.

In a digital age where employee voices have significant reach, the manner in which companies handle layoffs not only reflects their compliance with legal standards but also shapes their public image and internal culture.