Hanna shared five strategies to help HR professionals relieve, or at least minimize, layoff fears:

Be transparent: This matters especially if a round of layoffs has already happened because rumors about more layoffs are sure to follow. To preserve company morale and prevent the departure of top performers who fear their jobs are in jeopardy next, Hanna says, HR should detail why layoffs were necessary to safeguard the company's overall financial health.
Extend empathy: Watching colleagues lose their jobs isn't easy for retained employees and often plants a seed of worry that more layoffs will be coming. Leaders, guided by HR, must acknowledge "survivor's guilt" and remind those employees how important they are to the company's future.

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Stay positive: Never speak negatively about employees who lost their jobs, Hanna notes. Even if the layoffs were connected to poor performance, criticizing those who are no longer with the company could "poison the water" for remaining staff, she says.
Emphasize teamwork: In the aftermath of layoffs, HR leaders must focus on teamwork and collaboration to create cohesion. Doing so can create a sense of purpose for employees not impacted by the layoffs.
Set realistic expectations: Finally, while positivity can go a long way, layoffs often will mean more work for remaining employees. So, Hanna says, be prepared to set clear and achievable goals for how the workload will be redistributed post-layoffs and how it might shape compensation and career growth for employees whose jobs were not affected by the layoffs.

"I believe it's critical for HR departments and employers to acknowledge the fears, extend empathy and communicate clearly," Hanna says. "These practices will be the key to minimizing employee fears about layoffs."

Instant Insights /

An alarming number of employees are worried about layoffs. What HR can do

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