Propose three (3) ways that the manager can cope with any negative emotions that might accompany an employee layoff.

Employee layoff is a weighty emotive issue that is most likely to lead to negative
emotions. A manager needs to respond wisely to these emotions as they can affect the remaining
employees negatively, making them lose their morale, and this could be costly for the
organization. Employee layoff is unavoidable trouble that is bound to elicit bad feelings. A
manager should not brush off negative emotions, as this is not an effective strategy. Instead, a
manager should communicate openly with the employees and reassure them (De Meuse &
Marks, 2003). The manager should keep communication lines open and let the employees know
that their contribution is valued. It is essential to let the employees know the reasons that led to
the layoff. For instance, if the decision was due to the dismissed employee’s conduct, or due to
financial reasons, then the remaining employees should know. This helps them stay away from
trouble or behavior that would also risk their jobs. Layoffs destroy employees’ trust in the
management, and through honest communication, this can be restored.
Another strategy is to re-establish the long-term goals and vision of the company (De
Meuse & Marks, 2003). The strategy helps ensure the remaining employees that the management
is on course, and the company will survive. The manager can manage to do this by re-designing
tasks and processes and assigning the remaining employees with new roles and responsibilities.
Also, assure the employees that the goals will be achievable and ask for their input. It is a way of
letting them know that their positions are secure and maintaining their morale.

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A manager can also cope with negative emotions by treating the remaining employees
well and praising their efforts. As long as the manager does so sincerely, praising employees for
outstanding work raises their morale. The organization should honor those employees that go up
and above (De Meuse & Marks, 2003). Also, if the laid-off employee was let go out of reasons
other than their fault, it would be good to offer them a letter of recommendation. This one will
give them a softer landing out there and will help them in the next job search. Treating the
employee well will be impressive even to the remaining employees and will understand the
decision made by the management.
Describe a step-by-step process of conducting the dismissal meeting.  
A properly conducted termination meeting should be aimed at preserving and upholding
the dignity of the employee. Conducting a dismissal meeting is dreaded by both the victim and
the one leading the meeting. In preparation, the manager should first plan the venue of the
meeting. The meeting should be held privately. The attendees should also be prepared; there
should be at least one human resource representative and security personnel in case the employee
receives the news and becomes violent (Richter et al., 2018).
During the meeting, the manager should go straight to the point. Being direct ensures that
there is no room for misinterpretation. From the beginning, let the employee know that the
agenda of the meeting is their termination. The manager should be specific and provide the
reason for the dismissal. It is essential to tell the employee the truth as lies could be costly. The
management should, however, be prepared to deal with any negative emotions. The employer
needs to stay calm and grounded on the decision to dismiss the employee. The employer should
refrain from attempts to comfort the employee. He or she should not act in a manner as though
they are empathizing. Also, in case the employee makes some reasonable requests, such as

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asking for a recommendation letter or reference, the employer should be kind enough to grant
them. It is also important to discuss termination benefits with the employee. These may include
but not limited to vacation pay, insurance, and conversion.
The next step should be to reconfirm that the dismissed employee understands their
obligations. If there is any non-compete agreement that had been signed by the employee, let the
employee know his or her obligations (Mitchell et al., 2016). Also, in terms of trade secrets, let
the employee know what they can share out and what they cannot share. Also, explain to them
the repercussions of breaking any of these agreements. Arrange how the employee will collect
any personal belongings from the company premises. At this point, the employer should gather
any property belonging to the organization. These may include uniforms, badges, keys,
electronic devices, cars, and any tools.
The employer should provide the employee with their last paycheck to avoid any risk of
litigation. It is crucial to ensure that the employee receives their full pay up to their last working
day. The next step is to end the meeting in a formal way. The employer should not prolong the
meeting. It should take a maximum of ten minutes as it is not one of the pleasant meetings. The
next step is to ensure that the employee leaves the company premises following the dismissal.
The employer should document the events of the meeting, and any comments made, and then
keep the record in the employee’s file.

Dismissal Meeting

Determine Compensation that the Fictitious Company Might Provide to the Separated
Employee

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One of the requirements is that a company must pay an employee all the wages that the
employee earned until he or she was dismissed. Any pending compensation, including payment
for holidays and overtime, must be remitted before the employee is formally dismissed
(Holzmann et al., 2011). The company must also check whether the employees are eligible for
severance pay. Severance pay is a program that caters for the needs of formal workers dismissed
by employers. Employees may thus be entitled to compensation if they leave work unwillingly.
The program was put in place with a view of protecting the newly unemployed. Different
companies have different severance pay policies that can be found in the company employees
handbook. The policies often dictate that employees cannot sue their employer for wrongful
termination.
The law in America does not create any special provisions for employees to be awarded a
severance package (Holzmann et al., 2011). The matter needs to be agreed upon by employees
and their employers. For the fictitious company, the employees may be provided with severance
pay if they are dismissed unwillingly. The standard method of determining severance pay is by
calculating a week’s wage for every year that an employee has been working for the company.
Contacting an attorney may be the best way of ensuring that the severance payment is paid in full
and no complains arise from the award of the pay (Holzmann et al., 2011). The payments may
continue until the employees secure new employment contracts.
Using Microsoft Word or any equivalent such as Open Office, produce the chart that
depicts timeline of the disbursement of the compensation

Payment Date Pay Per Number of Years Payment Amount

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Employed

June 1, 2020 1 year $3,100 $3,100

July 1, 2020 2 years $3,100 $3,100

August 1, 2020 3 years $3,100 $3,100

September 1, 2020 4 years $3,100 $3,100

October 1, 2020 5 years $3,100 $3,100

November 1, 2020 6 years $3,100 $3,100

December 1, 2020 7 years $3,100 $3,100

January 1, 2021 8 years $3,100 $3,100

February 1, 2021 9 years $3,100 $3,100

March 1, 2021 10 years $3,100 $3,100

If an employee is paid in a lump sum, the total payment will be 3,100 multiples by ten years if
employment which will equate to 31,000. The lump sum will be paid on June 1, 2020.
Predict three (3) ways that this layoff may affect the company
The company comprises of individual employees who work closely as a team. Laying off
an employee, thus interferes with the ability of employees to function as a team. The

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organization is thus forced to cope with a missing link (Brockner et al., 2004). When layoffs
occur in touch on many employees, the organization has to deal with a larger problem. Layoffs
destroy existing company relationships. When an employee leaves, the employees left may feel
demoralized. Some may start to actively look for employment in other companies. The loyalty
that employees have towards senior management may diminish significantly. The employees that
remain active in the organization may feel threatened and intimidated (Brockner et al., 2004).
They may feel that they are going to be dismissed next, and this may create an environment of
mistrust that is not conducive for optimal productivity. The emotional reaction by other
employees after one of their own is dismissed may result in a reduction in productivity.
The layoff may also affect the ability of the business to retain employees. Some
employees are attached to a business because of its employees. As a result, when the employees
leave, the customers may leave too (Brockner et al., 2004). Customers are important because the
ability of a business to make profits depends on the organization’s ability to attract and retain
customers. Some customers interpret layoffs to be a sign of a company that has an internal crisis.
They may, therefore, want to seek competitors that they feel do not have any sort of crisis.
The organization may incur costs as a result of the layoff. Traditionally, layoffs are
interpreted to be cost-effective. However, layoffs are expensive. A company loses experts in
certain fields. It becomes difficult to replace the expertise lost. A company may have to fill the
vacancies in future. As a result, the company may incur high hiring costs. Companies also have
to train employees (Brockner et al., 2004). When they layoff employees, they have to retrain new
employees hired. The severance pay that the company has to remit to the laid-off employees is
also a high cost. The costs may outweigh the payroll benefits associated with layoffs.

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References

Brockner, J., Spreitzer, G., Mishra, A., Hochwarter, W., Pepper, L., & Weinberg, J. (2004).
Perceived control as an antidote to the negative effects of layoffs on survivors’
organizational commitment and job performance. Administrative Science
Quarterly, 49(1), 76-100.
De Meuse, K., & Marks, M. L. (Eds.). (2003). Resizing the organization: Managing layoffs,
divestitures, and closings (Vol. 14). John Wiley & Sons.
Holzmann, R., Pouget, Y., Vodopivec, M., & Weber, M. (2011). Severance pay programs
around the world: history, rationale, status, and reforms. World Bank.
Mitchell, M. S., Koen Jr, C. M., & Carmichael, A. J. (2016). Rightful Discharge: Making
“Termination” Mean It Is: Really: Over: Part 1—Issues and Legislation. The health care
manager, 35(1), 39-46.
Richter, M., König, C. J., Geiger, M., Schieren, S., Lothschütz, J., & Zobel, Y. (2018). “Just a
Little Respect”: Effects of a Layoff Agent’s Actions on Employees’ Reactions to a
Dismissal Notification Meeting. Journal of Business Ethics, 153(3), 741-761.