Instead, more firms are relying on emails, or even texts, to notify employees that their jobs have been eliminated — a practice that became commonplace during the pandemic.
“In the hybrid-work era, some companies no longer feel obligated to deliver bad news face to face, or even over a Zoom call,” the Journal wrote. “A pink slip can come via a text message and email.”
In November, General Motors cut about 1,000 roles. As the layoffs affected employees worldwide, the company opted for an email to ensure all workers found out at the same time, a spokesperson told the Journal.
Human resources leaders said the trend highlights companies’ efforts to best manage layoffs and reduce anxiety amid widespread job cuts at the end of 2024. At the same time, CEOs have refined their approach to companywide layoff announcements, aiming to offer staff some explanation for the cuts without oversharing.
Some workplace advisors advocate for a more personalized approach, emphasizing that employees should learn about layoffs directly from a supervisor, division head or leader they know.
“It’s a human being here. They’re losing their job,” Stacey Berk, a former HR leader at Sodexo and founder of Expand HR Consulting, told the Journal. “We can take a half-hour out of our day to have these discussions.”
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