Got this sad email from Ali.
Do you have any content or insight on how to layoff an OFS? I need to close my business and cannot afford an OFS at this time.
So sorry to hear that.
It’s never fun to let someone go.
It’s never fun to be let go.
Here’s my advice:
– Let them know as soon as possible that you will be letting them go, so they can start looking for work as soon as possible.
– If they did really well in their jobs, give them references or a recommendation letter.
– Prepare some sort of severance for them if you can afford it. If you give them the 13th month, you give them that as severance. I’ve given people a months pay as severance so they can look for work elsewhere and find a job in time to not have a pay gap.
Just as hiring doesn’t have to be complicated, letting go of an OFS doesn’t have to be messy as well.
If they did good work, just help make it easier for them to find their next job.
If they didn’t do good work, you should still be nice.
John
I recently had to do this myself. What I did is I put out feelers through my network of friends and business connections if they knew of anyone looking for someone to hire. Through a friend of a friend I did actually find someone. So when I had to break the news to my OFA I was able to tell her I already found her another job.
She was still very sad and it got emotional but the blow was greatly reduced by the fact I was simply handing her off to someone else. Turns out the other business actually paid her more than I was.