Layoff Communication Skill

A layoff is the hardest thing a company communicates, and people remember exactly how it was handled. This skill plans and writes the full set of messages so affected people learn first and with dignity, managers know what to say, and the remaining team isn't left in fear — clear, humane, and consistent across every audience.

Note: this produces communications, not legal advice. Layoffs carry legal/regulatory requirements (notice periods, protected classes, severance, WARN-type rules) that vary by jurisdiction — the output flags where to involve HR and legal counsel and must be reviewed before use.

Working from a brief

Given "we're cutting 15% next week", produce the full package anyway — infer the likely audiences, sequence, and questions, label assumptions, and bracket the specifics (numbers, dates, severance terms) to confirm. Never withhold for missing detail; flag every legally sensitive point for HR/legal review.

Required Inputs

Ask for these only if they aren't already provided (else infer and label):

• The decision — scale, which teams/roles, and the timing.
• The why — the honest business reason (be specific, not euphemistic).
• Support offered — severance, benefits continuation, outplacement, references.
• Logistics — how/when affected people are told, access timing, and who delivers each message.
• Constraints — legal/regulatory requirements and approvals (flag for counsel).

Output Format

Layoff Communications: [company]

1. Sequencing plan — who hears what, from whom, and in what order (affected people first and individually, then the staying team, then external) — with timing so no one finds out via rumour or the wrong channel.

2. Affected-employee message — delivered live where possible, with a written follow-up: clear that their role is ending, the reason, what support they get, exact next steps and dates, and where to get help. Direct, respectful, no false hope, no jargon.

3. Company / all-hands message — the leader's message to everyone: what's happening, why, accountability, care for those leaving, and what comes next for the team. Owns the decision; doesn't hide behind passive voice.