The Scoop: Employees are silent on layoffs, firings no more

Once upon a time, being laid off or fired from a job was something to be endured silently, an awkward scarlet letter that came up in job interviews and dinner parties, acknowledged with murmured sympathies and downcast eyes, as if the misfortune might be contagious. 

But there’s a sea of change happening now. Empowered by social media, employees (largely Gen Z and Millennials)  who identify the warning signs of a termination are documenting the experience on platforms such as TikTok, from their anxiety in the hours before, right through the meeting itself and into the painful aftermath. 

Axios cites a number of these viral videos, including a woman who began a countdown of the hours until she believed she was going to be laid off (she was correct) and another who recorded her firing for performance reasons at the hands of HR managers she did not know.  

Erin Grau, cofounder of Charter, a future-of-work company, told Axios that the videos act as a way of “holding companies, HR teams and managers accountable to conduct more humane layoffs.” 

Why it matters: Grau said it best: “HR is the new PR.” 

No longer will employees meekly accept terminations that are carried out with a disregard for the humans who have their lives upended during a 15-minute Zoom call.  

To be clear, both layoffs and firings are sometimes a necessary evil in the business world. There is no way to entirely remove the sting of hearing one is losing their livelihood. But there are certainly ways to make it easier on both sides.

These viral termination videos once again show the need for PR to be involved in every major decision-making process in a company. When layoffs are on the table, PR needs a seat at that table, helping craft the internal layoff announcement (which will inevitably leak and become an external statement). They can also help recommend best practices based on missteps of other companies and be prepared to monitor social media for fallout.

These situations are never easy. But with PR acting as the voice of the audience, including those being laid off, the pain can be eased for both those who are gone and those who remain with the organization. 

Editor’s Top Reads: 

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• Proving once again that inclusivity is good business, the BBC reports that more and more travel destinations are adding – and promoting – features that serve those with disabilities. From Fort Wayne, Indiana’s wheelchair-friendly water splash pad to backpacks that vibrate to concert music for the Deaf in Trentino, Italy, these investments are attracting the 16%  of persons worldwide who live with a significant disability. These investments are win-win-win: they help people, they bring new business and they generate feel-good media stories. The BBC story notes these investments needn’t even be costly, as in the case of the 3D-printed miniatures of landmarks that can be felt by the visually impaired.  

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.