Employee departures may elicit a mix of emotions. At times, the departure is a celebratory occasion, like a retirement. Other times, a departure may weaken morale, such as layoffs due to economic conditions. The unfortunate reality is that turnover is unavoidable, and it\u2019s best to learn how to announce departures of any nature. Employers should work to be transparent about workforce changes when they happen so employees know what to expect and how to handle transitions. In this article, we cover the essential elements to include and some to avoid when writing an employee departure announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brushing things under the rug doesn\u2019t get rid of the issue. It may seem well-intended to avoid sharing negative news, but this does more harm than good. If an employee stops showing up to work, employees will speculate. Without the facts, employees may partake in gossip, which can hurt morale and damage trust in the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, inform those who worked with or relied on the departing employee of their departure as soon as possible. Being transparent builds employee trust and helps them feel more valued and included. It also prevents the spread of misinformation; employees will hear the facts instead of creating their own stories and misinterpretations. Additionally, remote workers likely rely on the company to communicate workforce changes since they have less opportunity to notice them in a shared workplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some may avoid sharing news about employee departures if the company\u2019s turnover rate is high. Noticeable patterns of employee departures may initiate a ripple effect<\/a>, causing more employees to choose to resign. But the announcement itself isn\u2019t the issue. The root problem is the turnover trends within the company. Be sure to conduct exit interviews<\/a> to find out why employees are leaving. This way, you can address the problems and improve retention in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n