Breaking bad news to staff

Breaking bad news is an integral part of HR. Decisions a company makes could mean you have to deliver news that conflicts with your own morals, and affects people's lives and throws them into complete turmoil.

Be upfront

Qaalfa Dibeehi, vice-president of Beyond Philosophy, a thought leadership consultancy, says that most well-meaning employees understand when things are not quite right. So the worst scenario is when management avoids a discussion until there is only dreadful news to break.

Dibeehi believes that nothing makes unpleasant news pleasant, but preserving employees' confidence through integrity and honesty will help mitigate the negative consequences. "Being upfront helps to reduce the shock and knee-jerk reactions. If you have been proactive then you have prepared yourself," he adds.

Protect your integrity

Treating staff in a manner that causes ill feeling could have wider implicationsfor not only the individual delivering the news, but also for the organisation.

Dibeehi explains: "If it is a company issue, employees may start to hear rumours and this creates rumblings. People may then become edgy, and this affects staff performance.

"It could even start to hit business revenues. If bad news appears to come out of the blue, it creates the shock factor and could damage the employer brand," he warns.

Dibeehi says that if an employee has been mismanaged due to receiving bad news inappropriately, that person could spread their dissatisfaction like a virus.

This can hurt an organisation's reputation, making recruiting difficult as potential employees are more wary.

Don't let HR suffer

The lesson for HR is that if you know a manager wants to deliver the news, make sure they do so effectively. Also, don't let your employees think you're solely working for the company - ensure they know you are also working in their best interests.

If you are aware of bad news, don't leave it to the last minute to inform staff, as they will often blame HR.

"The employee experience should be aligned to the customer experience," argues Dibeehi. "If the company wants to build trust with its customers, it must first do so with its employees. Just as an organisation which breaks the confidence of a customer increases the chances that the customer will go out and tell everyone about the bad experience, the same is true for employees."

Sue Ensall, employment law expert at law firm Betesh Fox, says HR professionals must ensure they don't fall foul of the law when delivering bad news.

"Employers must be aware of employment law requirements when handling bad news," she says.

Business reorganisations, redundancy programmes and changes to terms and conditions of employment all require information and consultation processes.

"When dealing with dismissals, compliance with statutory procedures involving letters and meetings needs to be followed if unfair dismissal judgments are to be avoided.

Be sensitive

Complying with employment legislation alone will not ensure appropriate or good communication within an organisation, particularly when it comes to giving bad news. HR professionals must consider their delivery.

"News is likely to be better received if it is delivered ina sensitive and professional manner and the situation has been clearly plannedand thought through," says Ensall.

Although there are exceptions to the rule, she says, it is normally the case that employees progress claims against employers where they genuinely feel they have been treated unfairly or differently to others.

"If employers are able to take the time to explain a situation and the rationale behind their actions, and give employees the opportunity to talk and ask questions, this can often prevent the misunderstandings that can lead to employment claims," she advises.

If you only do 5 things

1 Do not shy away from bad news. Be upfront, honest and open.

2 Deliver bad news in person.

3 If there is more than one person delivering the news, consider scripting it to ensure a consistent message.

4 Evaluate who would be the best person to deliver the news in a careful, considerate manner.

5 Plan and think through your delivery to avoid tribunal/discrimination claims.

For more information

Book

How to break bad news
Robert Buckman, Pan, £14.99, ISBN 0330340409

Articles

How to be a courageous manager

Expert's view on delivering bad news: Sue Ensall, employment law expert, Betesh Fox

Why should you not avoid the issue?

Good communication involves giving all appropriate information, good or bad. Don't shy away from communicating with employees just because the news may not be good.

How should I deliver bad news?

It is usually more appropriate to give bad news face-to-face so responses can be handled and managed. Handing out letters last thing on a Friday afternoon cannot be classed as communicating effectively with employees and, more importantly, employees will see this as running away from discussing the matter.

Also, depending on the news being delivered, it will be more appropriate to give this in groups or individually. Consider the location and anticipate questions in advance so appropriate responses can be thought through.

How do I decide who should givethe bad news?

Selecting the most appropriate person to carry out the communication is critical. Ensure it is someone sufficiently senior in the organisation with good communication skills who understands the importance of the task.

An aggressive, table-thumping managing director is normally not the most appropriate person, and you could have a difficult task of damage limitation on your hands if this person insists on carrying out the communication.

If more than one person is to carryout the communication, you should consider scripting the delivery toensure a consistent message.