Question

You are a Director in the Andrews Corporation. Your boss called you to inform you that there is a proposed layoff in your department that would affect three of six of your employees if it takes place. Given the sensitivity of the issue, your boss asks you to keep this information absolutely confidential. Later that day, one of your employees (Shelia) who would be affected stops you in the hallway and says she’s heard rumors about a layoff, remarking, "I’m not going to be fired am I?" The layoff in fact does occur and you now have to deliver the bad news to your employees. It’s likely to send shockwaves through the organization and there will no doubt be considerable bad press associated with the layoff. With which of the following issues should you be most concerned when talking with Shelia?a-Ensuring that Shelia understands the process for how she was selected as one of the employees to be terminated.b-Making certain that she has a chance to air any negative feelings so she doesn't feel a need to go the local newspaper.c-Making sure that Shelia understands the economic need for laying-off staff.d-Clearly communicating that it's not personal and that she has been a valuable employee.

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

As a Director, you are a key stakeholder in Andrews Corporation. No matter how bad you feel for the laid off workers, you have the responsibility of ensuring that they don't spoil the name of the company outside, out of grief.

For this reason, you should let Shelia (and other laid off staff) to pour out their grief (to you alone or to you and other directors or managers/staff) so they don't feel a need to go to the local newspaper and spread bad press about the company.

If you lay off workers and also shun them from complaining within the company premises or to company staff, there is a high probability that they will air their negative feelings elsewhere and that will be bad press for the company.

Explanation:

All the other options (A), (C), and (D) are the statements that will be used to soothe Shelia (and other laid off staff) AFTER they have poured out their grief.

- Let them understand the process for how they were selected to be terminated

- Ensure that they understand the economic need for laying off staff. Probably the company is going through hard times financially and after trying measures to increase profits (such as increase in price of goods or services they offer), they are still having a loss, so the last resort is to fire some staff

- Clearly communicate that the retrenchment is not personal (is not happening to them because you or the boss personally dislike them). Let them feel that they have been valuable employees.