Layoffs can be one of the most difficult tasks you face as a supervisor. Understanding how the process works will prepare you for any layoffs that your unit must initiate. Adequate planning and communication will have a significant effect on the employees being laid off, the remaining staff, and on clients who work with your employees. Planning and implementationThe term “layoff” has the following meanings:
(NOTE for SEIU 925 bargaining unit employees only: An increase in an employee’s percent FTE can entitle the employee to layoff rights. Before increasing the percent time of an employee in an SEIU 925 bargaining unit, please contact your unit’s HR consultant to review the process you need to follow.) Process summaryBelow are basic steps outlining the layoff process for both the employing unit and their HR consultant. Employing unit responsibilities:
HR consultant responsibilities:
Probationary employeesProbationary classified staff employees do not have the layoff and reemployment rights that permanent classified staff do. If a probationary employee must be let go for reasons related to funding or departmental restructuring, Human Resources prepares a special notice that informs the employee that their position is being eliminated because the department can no longer sustain it. The employee may be eligible for unemployment compensation and for insurance continuation benefits. Regularly occurring layoffsAs a heavily grant and contract-funded research institution with many self-sustaining programs, layoffs due to funding reductions or changes in research programs are regularly necessary. Such layoffs typically involve small numbers of employees who often know about the possibility of layoff well in advance of the time that the layoff action becomes necessary. Examples include situations where:
Complex layoffsComplex layoffs are characterized by one or more of the following:
Initiating a layoffWhen planning regularly occurring layoffs, such as those due to grant or contract funding reductions, enter the request into the layoff request tool at least 8 weeks in advance to ensure the layoff action takes place on your requested effective date. Use netid\yourUWNetID with your NetID password to log-in. Your HR consultant will contact you to review the layoff process. Return to top Managing complex layoffsComplex layoffs require advance discussion with Human Resources and detailed planning. Learn the steps involved in preparing for, initiating, and managing complex layoffs. Contact Human ResourcesWhen you need to manage a complex layoff situation, your first step is to contact your HR consultant. They will make sure that:
Develop your unit’s layoff or reduction planYour plan will need to address some or all of the following elements. As you plan and communicate the layoffs that your unit faces, maintain a record of the actions you take and when you take them. The layoff planning elements below are divided into three sections:
Layoff pre-planning
Return to top Communication planningWhen confronted with the need to eliminate or reduce positions, some supervisors may be reluctant to share information out of fear that employees will leave for other jobs before the unit is ready, or that they will become upset and unproductive. Instead, it is almost universally the case that employees respond best when they receive accurate and timely information about the circumstances the unit faces. Your unit’s HR consultant can help you to be prepared to meet your unit’s communication needs. If employees remaining in the unit after layoffs believe that management has neglected their needs by withholding critical information for too long, they may not trust management, may not support changes in work, and may look for other employment opportunities just when their contributions are most needed. Your communication to employees should be:
Tailor your communication planTailor communication to the circumstances of the layoff and the dynamics of the workplace. For example, if one or two employees must be laid off due to loss of grant funding, the employee communication will need to recognize that:
When significant funding reductions or departmental restructuring are anticipated, employees will be anxious about their own security and look to management for information that will help them know what to expect. If this is your situation, share as much information as you reasonably can about your assessment and planning process so employees do not feel left in the dark. In the absence of real information, rumors may propagate and disrupt the workplace. If employees do not know of the situation, determine how soon you can tell them about it. Anticipate that employees whose positions are being eliminated or reduced will want to know how the decisions about which positions to eliminate were made. Group dynamicsGroup meetings can be effective if affected employees get along and trust each other. However, if the group is not very cohesive or if there is a history of conflict, consider meeting individually so that employees will feel free to air any concerns they may have. Prepare for workload concernsEmployees will want to know how service or performance expectations will be adjusted after a significant staff reduction. Be prepared to tell employees how you plan to make adjustments to service standards and/or expectations. Be sure to share that information with affected clients. If employees do not see management acknowledge that “things are different” and that expectations of them are therefore different, they are likely to feel that the burden of the reductions is falling on their shoulders and that management has not developed a comprehensive plan. Plan for employee responseWe all react differently to information that will affect our employment adversely. Some will immediately begin to marshal financial resources and develop an action plan for a job change. Others may be daunted by the challenges they will face and experience fear, shock, anger, grief, a sense of helplessness, depression, or difficulty focusing on tasks. Employees who remain after staff reductions may also need support. They may experience guilt if close friends have lost their jobs. If management has not adequately addressed revised service plans, employees may be angry and frustrated. They may not deliver services effectively and share their frustrations with customers and employees in other units. Return to top Planning checklistThe checklist below contains various elements to consider and necessary actions for planning and implementation of staff reductions. Due to the unique nature of each individual situation, some items may occur simultaneously, in a different order than in the list below, or not at all. Be sure to read through them and recognize which are applicable. Layoff preparation
Communication planning
Security
Implementation
Return to top Resources to help employeesBelow, you’ll find additional information that we encourage you to review with any employees scheduled for layoff. Time off balancesLet employees know what their current time off balances are and what their projected balances will be as of the effective date of layoff. Ensure that employees know what will happen to their time off and or compensatory time accumulations (for example, professional staff are not paid for more than 240 hours of vacation time off, regardless of the final vacation time off balance). BenefitsThe benefits summary for employees at layoff can help employees with questions about insurance coverage following layoff, including medical/dental and life insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits. Employees may also send questions to the Integrated Service Center. Laid off employees who work for the UW for at least eight hours a month will continue to receive the employer-paid portion of medical and dental benefits for up to twenty-four (24) months following the layoff effective date. The opportunity for such work is based on the need for workers and is not guaranteed. To ensure benefits are kept current, employees who are working as a temporary employee following layoff should notify the Integrated Service Center. UW CareLinkUW CareLink, the University of Washington’s faculty and staff assistance program, can provide resources to help employees cope with the personal and financial challenges of job loss. UW CareLink is available to laid off employees up to 30 days following the date of separation from employment. UW employment resourcesEncourage employees to review UW job listings. Employees scheduled for layoff may also wish to consider exploring temporary employment opportunities at the University through UTemp Staffing. Unemployment compensationIndividuals who meet eligibility criteria and who are laid off from the UW may be eligible for unemployment benefits. For more information, view UWHR’s Unemployment benefits webpages along with information provided by the Employment Security Department regarding unemployment benefits in WA state. Return to top |