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I’m seeing what you’re seeing on social media and I am cringing too; I’m embarrassed for HR professionals and leadership who aren’t putting the effort in and aren’t leading with kindness and empathy. One of the biggest questions I have is where are the managers? I think one of the biggest myths out there is that it’s HR’s decision to terminate people. We facilitate, we coach, we help, but the managers decide.
When it comes to whether terminations should be done in person or over video call, I’ve actually heard that it can be a bit preferred , rather than having to walk past your teammates with a box. You can give them the option of whether they want to come in, pack up their stuff, or if they would like that done for them. It’s about choice – giving them some control and making them feel respected.
“People were suffering, and companies were doing the exact opposite of what was needed,” says Dr. Hayden Cheng, who got her PhD from University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and now teaches at the University of Hong Kong.