If you own a business, there's a possibility that you may have to lay off employees at some point. It's never an easy decision, but sometimes it's necessary. If you find yourself in this position, you may be wondering how to write a layoff letter.
While you could wing it, we strongly advise against it. The last thing you want to do is say something that could come back to bite you later on. That's why we recommend using a temporary layoff letter template. Let’s break down the benefits of using a temporary layoff letter template and what this template could look like.
The Benefits of Using a Temporary Layoff Letter Template
1. Save Time
Writing a layoff letter from scratch takes time—time that you may not have if you're trying to get the layoffs done quickly. A template takes care of the heavy lifting for you, so all you have to do is fill in the blanks with the relevant information. This can save you hours, which means you can get the layoffs over with and move on as quickly as possible.
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2. Avoid Costly Mistakes
When emotions are running high, it's easy to make a mistake in your layoff letter. A single typo or incorrect date could land you in hot water, so it's best to leave it to the professionals. A good template will ensure that everything is correct and up-to-date, giving you one less thing to worry about during this difficult time.
3. Maintain a Professional Tone
It's important to maintain a professional tone in your layoff letters, even if the circumstances are anything but professional. Your employees deserve your respect, even if they're no longer working for your company. A template can help with this by providing a pre-written message that strikes the right tone and conveys the necessary information without being overly harsh or cold.
4. Comply with Employment Standards
There are certain employment standards that must be met when laying off employees. If these standards aren't met, you could find yourself facing legal action. A template can help ensure that your layoff letters comply with all applicable laws and regulations, minimizing your risk of being sued or fined by the government.
Keep Learning: Best practices for terminating employees
5. Get Back to Business
The sooner you can get back to business as usual after a round of layoffs, the better for everyone involved—including your remaining employees and customers. A template can help make this happen by taking care of everything for you so that you can focus on more pressing matters. This way, your business can get back on track as quickly as possible after going through tough times.
Example of a Temporary Layoff Letter Template
A layoff letter is an official notification that an employee's position has been eliminated. While this can be a difficult conversation to have, it's important to be clear and concise in your language so that the employee understands their current status. Here's a template for how to write a temporary layoff letter.
Dear [Employee Name],
I regret to inform you that your position with [Company Name] has been temporarily eliminated. This layoff is effective immediately and will last for [length of time]. During this time, you will not receive any salary or benefits from the company.
We understand that this is a difficult time for you and we hope that you will use this time to explore other opportunities. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Company Name]
No business owner wants to have to lay off their employees - but sometimes circumstances beyond our control force us to make difficult decisions. If you find yourself in the position of having to temporarily lay off your employees due to the coronavirus, we hope that this template letter can help make the process a little bit easier for you.
