How do you Write a Layoff Email to an Employee?

One of the times you’ll need to send out an email to your staff is when you decide to lay off employees. It’s considered good etiquette to reach out to those whose jobs are compromised and advise them on what they need to do next. 

Layoffs happen for so many reasons, all of which point to no fault of the employee. This is why it is necessary to ensure that the layoff email empathizes with them and shows them the way forward. 

In this article, we look at what it means to lay off employees, the causes, what must be included in a layoff letter, and some sample layoff letter templates. 

What does laying off employees mean? 

The term “layoff” simply refers to letting go of employees, either temporarily or permanently. An organization can decide to lay off employees for various reasons, which could include the company’s unstable financial system, a recession, a change in the business’s location, restructuring, and lots more. As you can see, none of this is a result of an employee’s performance or behavior but rather mostly on the financial state of the organization. They can also decide to lay off their staff temporarily, which could mean employees will need to return after a period of time, or permanently which signifies complete termination. 

What is a layoff letter? 

A layoff letter is solely used for the purpose of giving information to affected employees within an organization. The letter simply addresses each employee and explains in full detail all they need to know. It gives all the relevant information, including the effective date of termination, salary and benefit information, and much more. 

What should be included in a layoff letter?

A layoff email or letter must contain all the necessary details or it will be considered incomplete. As the HR manager, it is your duty to ensure that employees receive all the information needed prior to their termination so as to comply with labor laws. Here are some of the important details that shouldn’t be missed when crafting a layoff email: 

• Employee details: Your letter should be direct enough in specifying to whom the letter was sent, including their name, department, employee ID, and if possible, their email address. This helps them understand that the letter was intended to be sent to them and not someone else. It also has a way of creating a personalized email or letter that speaks well to the employee. 
• Purpose of the letter: The next thing your email should include is a clear purpose for writing the letter. This should be the first thing addressed after the employee’s details. It should fall under the first paragraph. Here, you should inform them of the layoff and its effective date. Also state if it will be a temporary or permanent layoff. 
• Employee appreciation: The next section of this layoff letter should be used to thank the employee for their efforts towards achieving success while they worked at your organization. You can make it more personalized by highlighting specific projects they took on. 
• Further information: Your layoff email should also provide next steps and relevant information on benefits and perks. You can let them know if they need to submit some items and to whom. The letter should also include how their salary will be released and if they’ll still receive the benefits provided by the company. 
• Conclusion: Close your email by providing resources to guide them on the journey and someone they can reach out to if they need assistance. Appreciate them once again for their work. 
• Your details: The final part of this letter should include a professional closing and your details. You can decide to include your email and/or phone number in case they want to reach out to you. 

Layoff Letter Template

If you have to lay off employees, it can be difficult to know how to craft a letter to them. We have compiled a few sample templates to help you out. 

Sample #1

10/05/2024

Ashley Herdford
Project manager
654732

Dear Ashley, 

We regret to inform you that you have been laid off from your position as the project manager of Guru Enterprise. You will stop working with us effective May 22, 2024. This layoff is permanent and is a result of the change in location of our business. 

Guru Enterprise wants to use this opportunity to thank you for your hard work so far. We were pleased to have such a talented project manager work for us. You have indeed successfully handled over 20 projects these past few years, and we are highly impressed. Please keep up the hard work on your next career path. 

However, we have decided to cover your salary for three months because of the work you have done. The health insurance and fitness package will still be accessible to you until the end of the year. Kindly reach out to Miss Beatrice to further discuss how your three months’ salary should be released. 

We are sorry for all the inconvenience caused, and we do appreciate your time and effort. Thank you once again, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors. 

Best regards,
[signature]
Tom Hanks
HR manager, Guru Ent.

Sample #2

01/10/2024

Ben Judge
Sales Representative
ID: 763409

Dear Ben, 

We are sorry to inform you that you’ll be relieved from your position as the sales representative of Juki Bakery. Your last date at the bakery will be on October 15, 2024. Kindly note that this is a temporary layoff, and you’ll be expected to return to your position in January 2025. 

We appreciate your efforts towards retaining our customers and building new relationships with them. And for this reason, we will ensure that you return to your position once the issue at the bakery is resolved. 

Kindly return your uniforms and aprons to the head of your department, along with the locker keys that were given to you upon your arrival as a new employee. Remember that you are bound by a non-compete agreement, and we won’t tolerate any failure to comply. Kindly reach out to the finance department to collect your salary for this month. 

We appreciate your time and effort with us. We hope to fix this issue as soon as possible so you can return to what you know how to do best. Kindly reach out to me if you have any questions. 

Sincerely,
Janet Paul
CEO, Juki Bakery

Conclusion

When it comes time to lay off employees, it’s necessary that all the information needed is put together in a letter or email. This way, employees can easily understand what lies ahead of them. 

The post How do you Write a Layoff Email to an Employee? appeared first on The HR Digest.

Source: New feed