OI Partners - E.K. Ward and Associates
May 2005 Newsletter

It's the downside of working in HR: delivering bad news. Unfortunately, it's something we often face in our business. Communicating a layoff, terminating an employee or even just telling someone that he or she will not be getting a pay raise are difficult things to handle. But when these situations are handled thoughtfully and professionally, the burden can be somewhat improved.

This issue deals with the subject of delivering bad news. We've included some articles that discuss when to do it, how to do it (and how not to do it) and suggestions for communicating effectively.

There is sometimes no way to get around facing uncomfortable-or in some cases, devastating-situations. Following the advice outlined in this issue's articles can make delivering bad news go more smoothly.

Sincerely,

Anne Mahoney Glose

OI Partners (Williamsville, NY)

Please click on the links below to read the complete articles.

"The Apprentice" Revisited
Although Donald Trump frequently uses the phrase, "You're Fired!," on the TV show "The Apprentice," HR professionals must take a more professional approach when terminating an employee. It's sometimes difficult to know when it's time to let someone go and even more difficult to know how to tell them. Following are some steps HR pros must consider in order to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

When It's Time to Say Goodbye
To handle termination and layoff, you need to understand how they differ. Doing so will help you prevent lawsuits, develop clear communication with employees, and improve your organization's productivity. Let's start with the legal definitions and then see how you can create effective policies.

Restoring lines of communication; Face-time counters workplace technology ills
What Boston headhunter Larry Stybel had was a failure to telecommunicate. Stybel was trying to drum up business for a recruiter friend in Denver. So he e-mailed a corporate client, asking if she would meet with his Rocky Mountain pal. She promptly e-mailed Stybel back, saying: "Sorry, we're not interested." Stybel, disappointed, pasted her response in an e-mail to his friend, adding, "Sorry, I ...

No Results, No Raise
Denying poor performers merit increases can pay off. The term "merit increase" should mean that an employee is getting a pay increase based on merit. All too often, however, employees get salary increases regardless of whether their performance over the previous year was meritorious. In fact, many employees who don't meet the minimum requirements of their job collect "merit" increases year after ...

Firing Do's, Don'ts
Firing 100 people is a lot harder than it seems. Picking who is going to be canned, and justifying it, is often a tedious task for those trying to cut costs and improve efficiency. And if not done correctly, it could end up costing a company more than it would have paid in salaries. That is because mass firings, known in human resources parlance as work-force reductions, often result in ...

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