With layoffs pending in the federal civil service, here’s what leaders and HR teams can do

The spectre of layoffs and downsizing in the federal civil service could lead to reduced workforce productivity, with senior leaders often bearing the brunt, HR professionals agree. However, there are things that employees, managers and HR teams can be doing to help. The federal budget, presented late last year, outlined plans to cut nearly 40,000 public service positions by 2028-29. Since then, many public servants in various departments and agencies across Ottawa have received workforce adjustment notices. While receiving such a notice doesn’t necessarily mean an employee will be laid off, it does create uncertainty, Tara Azulay, co-CEO of Ottawa-based HR consulting firm Clariti Group, told OBJ. And that uncertainty could lead to reduced productivity. “When people think they might be losing their jobs, they go into survival mode … for organizations expecting that it’s going to be business as usual and that their productivity is not going to take a hit is really unrealistic,” Azulay said. She’s seeing “a noticeable increase in execs being provided with outplacement services,” and says that senior leaders may be hardest hit by layoffs and experience identity loss and anxiety, all while continuing to lead their teams. “A lot of executives have been with their organization for a long time and probably haven’t job-searched in a long time. For some people, that identity loss hits a lot harder at the senior level, because that’s who you are. “Executives operate at a higher level. They have more responsibilities and can sometimes feel that they need to appear fine while, privately, they’re panicking,” Azulay said. Jesika Arseneau, founder of Ottawa HR firm Forge & Haven, agreed, saying leaders need to feel supported. “It has a cascading effect. If (leaders are) feeling disengaged and unable to lead their team, who is also (navigating) uncertainty, that’s just going to grow across the whole department,” she said. Plus, employee worries go beyond job security, which used to be a hallmark of the federal public service. “There are long-term expectations for what their pensions are going to look like. The sense of stability that has always been tied to government work has been completely disrupted,” Arseneau said. When a large organization such as the federal government starts looking at layoffs, the way things are handled will set the tone, said Andrea Greenhous, CEO of Ottawa’s Vision2Voice Communications. “One thing that's really important for organizations to understand is that layoffs can really harm an organization's effectiveness. The intended gains of layoffs, which is usually cost savings, are not achieved because of the collateral damage, the people left who are upset, stressed and don’t know what’s next. It destroys trust. “The layoffs will affect the public service in the long run (with the government’s) brand as an employer. People want to work for an organization they can trust and whose values and actions align with theirs. When you have layoffs done poorly, people are not going to want to work for you,” Greenhous said. Lydia Di Francesco, workplace wellness specialist and CEO of Fit + Healthy 365, told OBJ that she’s been giving workshops at federal workplaces since late last year on navigating change. “It seems like there has been some proactive nature on the part of HR teams to equip employees and leaders as best as possible, given the uncertainty,” she said, adding that HR professionals and team leaders need to be diligent about how they handle next steps. “The key thing is you want to maintain, as a leader, trust with your employees. Trust takes a long time to build and it can be broken really easily,” she said.

What employees, leaders and HR teams can do

Maintaining dignity in communicating is at the heart of how layoffs should be handled, Azulay said. “Job cuts are a business decision, but how they’re handled is a human one. Employees don’t always expect certainty, but they do expect and deserve honesty and respect,” she said. While it may be difficult for some employees to accept the worst-case scenario, Azulay said those who have been sent a workforce adjustment notice should be proactive about updating their resumé and LinkedIn profiles. “With the fear of losing your job, there’s guilt if you’ve started to look elsewhere (for work) as you may fear being seen as disloyal. (Employees) are stuck in this career limbo. Reframe it as self-preservation. It’s not a betrayal of your organization. It’s self-respect,” Azulay said. Employees should look at what they’ve done and how it could be applied to private-sector roles, Arseneau said. “Start a folder of all your ‘ta-da’ moments; things you’re proud of in your job, such as complimentary emails or great projects (you’ve worked on). It can help rebuild your confidence while rebuilding your resumé … Start to look at what adjacent roles could look like in the private sector.” Leaders can support their teams by taking time to check in with employees. “It’s really important to have visible, compassionate leadership. Leaders should not tuck themselves away in their office … It takes a lot of courage to be a leader and listening to your team can really help those people that are left to move forward,” Greenhous said. At the same time, HR teams should communicate as much as possible with employees, ensuring that the language used is clear and empathetic, she added. “Most communication in organizations is pretty robotic and stiff, so ditching that to focus on the tone will, to a certain extent, reduce the uncertainty.” Clear communication is also important for employees who may see their workload increase as a result of layoffs, Di Francesco said, but “toxic positivity” should be avoided. “Toxic positivity is the idea of forcing optimism in a way that dismisses, minimizes or invalidates real pain, grief and stress. You can acknowledge that this person is feeling stressed and … perhaps shift to realistic optimism. Viewing this change as an opportunity versus a threat,” she said. HR teams should amplify resources available to employees, such as mental health services. “It’s letting them know how you can support them, what that looks like and letting them know that other resources exist,” she added. Leaders can model wellness habits in the workplace, such as taking intentional lunch breaks and being mindful about working overtime, Di Francesco said. HR professionals can equip leaders with the tools needed to have difficult conversations, while also watching for employee burnout and mental health issues. “I think there’s always a possibility to have a big disconnect, because you don’t always have HR speaking directly to team members. The best thing you can do is making sure managers are well equipped (by) providing some guidance and training to managers to have those more emotional conversations,” Arseneau said. Finally, HR professionals need to take care of themselves. “It’s a tough situation, having to build everybody else up. Make sure that you’re taking your own advice in a way and investing in your own wellness,” Arseneau said.