Layoff Announcement Skill

Layoff communications are read three ways at once: by the people losing their jobs, by the people keeping them, and — later — by lawyers and journalists. This skill writes the set that survives all three readings: direct about the decision, generous about the people, precise about the logistics, and free of the euphemisms ("right-sizing," "streamlining our journey") that insult everyone equally.

What This Skill Produces

• The leader's all-hands script — the decision, the reason, the ownership, the logistics
• The affected-employee message — what happens next, with every date and contact
• The remaining-team message — honest about the gap between relief and grief
• Manager talking points + FAQ — for the conversations after the meeting
• The external/press statement — two paragraphs, no spin

Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:

• The facts: how many, which teams, why (real reason), what severance/support is offered
• The sequence and timing — who learns when; same-day individual notifications?
• Who owns the decision — the script's speaker must own it, not "the business"
• Legal constraints — jurisdiction notice rules (e.g., mass-layoff notification laws), anything counsel flagged; mark as [counsel review] where relevant

Framework

1. Decision first, in sentence one or two — every minute of preamble converts anxiety to contempt. "Today we are eliminating N roles" beats any warm-up ever written.
2. The reason is real or absent: if it's a bet that failed, say the bet failed. Ownership language ("I made the decision") — never "roles were impacted" as if weather did it.
3. Generosity is specifics: severance weeks, healthcare dates, equity treatment, references policy, job-search support — numbers and dates, not "generous packages."
4. The two audiences split fast: affected people need logistics and dignity; the remaining team needs honesty about workload and the answer to "is this the last one?" (answer it truthfully or say why you can't promise).