Having Difficult Conversations

General Information for Managers

Notifying an employee that his or her services may or will no longer be required due to a Workforce Adjustment (WFA) situation is never easy. However, good preparation will help alleviate unnecessary sources of stress and should allow the situation to be handled more smoothly. The following information will assist you in planning and implementing a strategy that will benefit you, your employees and the department.

1. Planning to Notify Employees of Affected/Surplus/Opting Status

Obtain the information you need ahead of time

As your employees' first point of contact, it is important that you understand the WFA provisions of the applicable collective agreement or of the WFA Directive, and information about the support services available within the Department. Think about the assistance that you, personally, are prepared to offer.

Select an appropriate time and place

The Department may decide to establish a set date to ensure notification to employees is delivered at the same time.

Studies indicate that mid-morning through to early afternoon is the most appropriate.

Where possible choose a private, enclosed room that is away from your office, but is still in the workplace. A meeting room is more neutral than an office, which may help to alleviate stress for some.

Where possible, place chairs at a round table. Never deliver a notice across a desk. Have tissues and a telephone available. Be prepared for employee reactions, stay calm, empathize and depersonalize the situation – remember it’s about the job not the person.

Ensure that your blackberry and/or cell phone is off prior to meeting with the employee.

Allow employees to leave the workplace after the meeting if it proves too difficult to face co-workers.

For each meeting, keep only the information you need at hand (resource material and personal information relating to the employee you are seeing). Ensure that you have the employee’s notification letter of WFA status.

Duration and spacing of meetings

Keep the notification meeting brief: 15 minutes is generally an appropriate length of time. This will allow enough time to provide the necessary information and to address the individual's initial concerns.

If you have to notify more than one employee, space the meetings at least one-half hour apart. This will enable each employee to leave without seeing the next person. You will also have time to debrief and prepare for the next session.

2. Preparing the Content of the Meeting

Each notification meeting should meet four main goals:

inform the employee of his or her status (i.e. affected status, surplus status with a guarantee of a reasonable job offer, or no guarantee of a reasonable job offer);
provide essential information about the employee’s specific status and implications;
provide support and information about services the employee may wish to use including the name of a regional HR Consultant who will be ready to assist;
offer a follow-up session within the next few days to help the employee begin planning for the future.

Refer to the common key messages for Managers prepared by Human Resources Services Branch (HRSB) that covers these goals. Keep your message clear, candid and factual. Practice what you are going to say so you will feel as comfortable as you can in the situation. If you will be notifying more than one person, make sure that your message is accurate and consistent. It is not the time to encourage the discussion of career concerns or comment on any individual's performance.

3. Conducting the Meeting

What to say

Within the first few minutes of the meeting, tell the person of his or her status and whether or not a reasonable job offer will be guaranteed in accordance with the applicable WFA agreement. Explain the circumstances that resulted in the decision for the employee’s job to be deemed affected. Structure the meeting according to the four goals listed above and outline these goals for the employee to help avoid surprises and keep everyone focused.

Depersonalize the situation, emphasize that decision is based on functions of position not the employee. Acknowledge the skills of the employee and the contribution he or she has made and opportunities across the public service. As well, acknowledge that the situation can be very difficult and that it is normal for people to experience a variety of emotions.

By effectively framing your message, you will go a long way toward helping employees maintain their dignity and respect. Advise the individual that confidentiality will be respected. Offer choices in terms of services, support and follow up. Although these choices may seem minor to you, they will encourage the person to take charge of his or her situation.

Wrapping up the meeting

Give your employee the letter and some time to read it. Offer to explain the letter and check to see that the individual understands the contents. Also explain any provisions of the WFA agreement or WFA Directive that might apply. After you have answered the employee's questions, briefly restate what was covered during the meeting, including issues that require follow up.

Confirm that your employee and you share a consistent understanding of what was said and of any commitments made. Do not raise expectations or make promises that you will be unable to fulfill.

Offer each employee the chance to have another meeting with you. Depending on the status of the employee, suggest that the employee renew and update their current curriculum vitae so that they can bring it for discussion with their HR Consultant in preparation for their job search within HRSDC and across the public service.

Assure each employee of your managerial responsibility and personal commitment to support and assist him or her. Make sure that this will be a priority for you in the months ahead.

4. Anticipate How You Might React

Unfortunately, organizational cultures do not generally allow for the expression of emotions, particularly negative ones, in the workplace. This may lead people to suppress the range of natural emotional responses they experience when an organization goes through a major transition, particularly one that involves significant job loss.

Managers who are "survivors" of downsizing exercises report a variety of emotional responses including:

guilt--you may feel responsible and wonder if you could have managed the situation differently and avoided this outcome;
ambivalence, relief--the employee may have been a challenge to manage;
apprehension, anxiety, fear--you may feel ill equipped to handle the situation, especially if it is a new experience and you may be unsure about your employee's reactions and your own;
anger--you may be angry at the organization and the public service for putting you and your employee in this position;
sympathy, grief, sadness--you may identify with the loss that the employee is experiencing and it may trigger memories of past losses that were difficult for you.

All of these reactions are normal. You may experience some of them in addition to others. Recognize and acknowledge your responses so that you can decide how best to deal with them. A rational problem-solving approach may be an effective management strategy for many situations, but it will not permit you to fully understand or deal with the way you are being affected.

Instead, it may be helpful to reflect on your emotions in terms of what is often called "the grief process". It refers to the period of transition people go through following a significant change or loss. Although your employee's loss may be your main focus, your involvement means that you are also affected.

The five stages of the grief process are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

These stages may not reflect your experience exactly, or you may move back and forth among them. More information about how this process relates to managing change and dealing with restructuring is available from the Employee Assistance Program.

You may have some emotions that cause you difficulty or leave you feeling blocked. It may be useful to prepare an inventory of your personal support network (i.e. family, friends, the Employee Assistance Program, colleagues, physician, etc.). Do you have the support you need to care for yourself throughout the months ahead? If not, talk to your HR Consultant or our Employee Assistance Program services for assistance.

By dealing with your own feelings, you will make the employment adjustment process easier for yourself. It will also help you better understand the reactions of your staff and provide more effective support for them.

5. Prepare for Employees' Reactions

Organizational cultures also limit the freedom with which employees can express their emotions. Again, the underlying message is that rational responses to difficult situations are okay, but emotional ones are not. Your employees may experience some feelings similar to yours and other emotions as well. They may not be aware of these feelings or may choose not to communicate them to you.

During the notification meeting, it is important to distinguish between your situation and that of the employee; one important difference relates to power and control. Although you may feel that you do not have very much control over the changes and resulting job loss, your employee may perceive that he or she has even less. In this respect it is very important to stress the guarantee of a reasonable job offer (if provided) and to explain that the affected and surplus with guarantee of reasonable job offer statuses are to facilitate placement.

Initial reactions reported by employees when notified of affected, surplus with a guarantee of reasonable job offer, or no guarantee of a reasonable job offer are listed below. This is not an exhaustive list and the responses have not been ranked.

confused, shocked, loss of control--unable to comprehend what is happening, unexpected behaviour, confusion about what to do next;
powerless, paralysed;
angry, betrayed--feeling angry, rejected and betrayed by the manager, the organization and the public service;
relieved--relieved to know that finally the decision has been made and they can now move on;
hopeful--that the situation might change;
distant, overly controlled, withdrawn;
sad, upset, discouraged;
tearful;
anxious, fearful, panicky;
excited, challenged--energized, just waiting for this opportunity to move on.

These reactions are understandable even though they might be very different from how you would respond. Try to put aside any judgments you might have in order to be as receptive as possible to your employee's concerns.
Be aware that your employees may be going through the stages of the same grief process described previously.

If you are concerned an employee might make a threat or react violently during or following a notification meeting, ensure to notify the Security Unit of the time and location of the meeting in the event that you need help.

Be alert to the reactions of each employee. Contact your HR Consultant and/or the Employee Assistance Program if you have any concerns. Do not hesitate to recommend the Employee Assistance Program to employees who might need assistance.

6. After the Meeting

Prepare a script for notifying the remainder of your staff about the status of the affected employees. If possible, respect individuals' choices about how they wish colleagues to be informed.

Try to speak to each affected employee the next day or soon after, in order to maintain a relationship and trust and to reiterate the support you are prepared to offer:

Express genuine concern. Restate your commitment to support the person. Do not ask personal questions.
Ask if any questions have arisen since the notification meeting.
Arrange a follow-up meeting with the person as soon as possible (within a week) if one was requested.

Advise the employee again that you will be available, particularly during the days immediately following the notification. Reassure the person of your respect for the confidentiality of his or her situation.

Approach the second meeting as you did the notification meeting. This time, be ready to answer questions about how affected and surplus positions were identified and, if applicable, why the employees did not receive a guarantee of reasonable job offer (i.e. opting status). Do not discuss the situations of other employees or compare the individual to others.

Plan how you will notify your staff of the elimination of certain tasks and the potential redistribution of work. Respect the pride and dignity of affected employees as you plan your future organization.

Include all staff in communications and regular social activities. You may want to ask a group of employees to be responsible for ensuring this happens.

7. Tips and Techniques for Supporting Employees During and After the Meeting

Make appropriate eye contact. Be conscious of your tone of voice and body language.
Think about how you would like to be told the news.
Adjust your words and gestures to suit each person if it feels comfortable for you.
Rely on your good judgment and intuition.
Take a few deep breaths if you are feeling stressed and uncomfortable during the meeting. Assess the situation and distance yourself. This may help to focus your attention on the employee.
Get to the point and be clear about actions taken
Allow the person to fully express their immediate thoughts. Interrupt only if absolutely necessary.
Listen attentively and show empathy.
Avoid responding to an employee's questions defensively.
Acknowledge the employee's feelings if he or she becomes angry or upset. It is normal for someone to cry or get angry in these circumstances. Offer support.
Remain calm, sympathetic and professional. This is the service most needed at the moment.
Be genuine. You may come across as "artificial" and the employee will sense it.
Indicate that you will get back to the employee as soon as possible if you do not have answers to all of his or her questions.
Be realistic. If an employee's request is beyond the scope of the service you can offer as a manager, say so. Make a referral elsewhere.
Offer information about the Employee Assistance Program. Explain the confidential nature of the service and that telephone information and advice, short-term counseling and career counseling are available.
Consult with your HR Consultant if you are concerned about how a particular employee may be reacting to the news or about his or her subsequent behaviour in the workplace.
You may also contact EAP directly. They offer a coaching and advisory service for managers.

8. Manager's Checklist

Preparing for the meeting

Consult your HR Consultant and other resources as needed (e.g. EAP, Security).
Identify sources of support as well as training and development opportunities to help you during this process.
Schedule meeting.
Reserve room.
Review the applicable Work Force Adjustment agreement.
Review the employee's file.
Review goals.
Prepare script, revise and rehearse.
Have the list of resources and support services available to employees
(e.g. Employee Assistance Program).
Monitor your emotions/reactions.

Meeting follow-up

Notify other staff as discussed with employee.
Offer follow-up meetings.
Communicate support and assistance.
Communicate individual responsibility of employee for his or her future.