A practical checklist for HR and leadership teams preparing a reduction in force, from defining objectives through selection, compliance, severance and communication.
When you are planning a reduction in force, you are balancing business realities with the impact on real people. A misstep in any one of these areas can follow you for years.
The right plan helps you protect your people, your brand, and your leadership team on a very difficult day.
Negative press, and a story about your company that you did not get to tell.
Selection criteria, WARN notices and release agreements all carry risk when they are rushed.
Remaining employees watch closely how the people who leave are treated.
Managers delivering hard news without talking points, logistics or a plan for the day.
The checklist walks HR and leadership through the key steps before, during and after a RIF, with an action item for every decision.
The business reason, affected locations and roles, alternatives to a RIF, timing, and the public narrative.
A cross-functional decision team, the depth of the reduction, voluntary options, and legal review.
Defensible criteria, a trained decision team, and an adverse-impact review of the preliminary list.
Federal and state WARN Act obligations, with notices prepared wherever they apply.
Release agreements, package contents, one-on-one sessions, and the message to everyone who stays.
If you check several boxes as “not yet” or “I'm not sure,” that is a good sign it is time to talk. We will walk through your situation, highlight risk areas, and share best practices for supporting your people and protecting your brand.
Request my RIF Readiness ReviewFor 40 years, OCM has helped organizations navigate reductions in force and leadership changes with dignity and professionalism.
Career transition, outplacement and leadership support is what we do, not a side line.
Personalized, local service backed by a network that supports organizations nationwide and around the world.
Participants in our programs usually land up to 50% faster than market norms.
Two pages, five stages, and the action items HR and leadership should work through before a RIF is announced.
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Download the checklist (PDF)