Emailed layoffs lack human connection and empathy for remote workers
The lack of human connection is one of the largest drawbacks for those who are working from home. The tech industry has been issuing rounds of layoffs - with Twitter, Google, Meta, and Amazon all issuing these via email to a large swath of hybrid and remote workers. Notabley, PagerDuty’s CEO Jennifer Tejada apologized for a “tone-deaf” email notification to the company announcing a 7% workforce reduction… and including a Martin Luther King Jr. quote. Some claim that the inclusion lacked empathy for employees who were feeling the sting of the company’s decision.
Remote workers may already feel disconnected from their colleagues and the company as a whole. An emailed layoff can exacerbate this feeling by lacking the personal connection that a face-to-face meeting of phone call can provide. This can make the layoff feel impersonal or cold. Additionally, emailed layoffs may exacerbate a sense of isolation. The worker may feel that they do not have the opportunity to discuss the situation with colleagues or receive support from their team.
Email communication can be prone to misinterpretation, and a layoff message can be particularly confusing and unclear. Remote workers may not fully understand the reason for the layoff and what their options are for future employment. This lack of clarity can create additional stress and anxiety. A layoff is a stressful and challenging experience for anyone, but remote workers may feel the additional stress due to the uncertainty of their future employment prospects. an emailed layoff can intensify these feelings and create a sense of panic or helplessness.
Spirit AeroSystems is laying off 400-450 hourly production workers in Wichita due to high inventory levels.