‘Humanized dismissal’: new way of dismissing employees that has been adopted by companies and generating controversy

Victor Hugo Faria, 32, senior data and planning analyst, received the news in October 2022 that he was being fired, along with other colleagues, from a distance learning platform, one of the largest in Latin America. His experience aligned with the trend of mass layoffs that affected countless professionals in Brazil, especially in the startup sector and technology companies, during the last year. Although Victor Hugo could have received only protocol and careful communication from the company, in addition to feedback that justified the dismissal, he was awarded a package of benefits, including an additional salary, maintenance of the health plan and the possibility of continuing to use the corporate computer to facilitate your job search. The initiative was called “humanized dismissal”. “A dismissal is not like any other, but I also don’t agree with the term ‘humanized’, because I don’t think it makes sense to call a loss process ‘humanized’. I think it should have another name, maybe a layoff with bonuses. A layoff is still painful, it has the losses and all the insecurities that come along with them”, says Victor. Two weeks ago, recruitment and selection company Guppy carried out its first mass layoff. In total, 58 employees were dismissed from the organization, corresponding to 8.5% of the total number of employees. To the media, Guppy said that the cuts are related to the “strategic restructuring”, with the aim of forming a “more unified team structure” in the business. He also said that “he would support former employees with a package of benefits such as a health plan, support in mental and physical health, especially for mothers and black people”. Part of the press treated the large-scale team reduction action as a “humanized dismissal”, opening the debate on social networks about the use of the term. “People resignation is dismissal, there is no such thing as humanized, you are messing with the financial structure of a person who supports himself from this job and sometimes a family”, commented an internet user on LinkedIn. The term, which is the same as “outplacement” in English, has been used by companies that adopt an empathetic attitude when communicating to professionals that they are no longer interested or able to keep them on the staff, in contrast to practices how to communicate the dismissal by email or messaging apps, or even revoking the worker’s access to the company’s computer, which can make the experience even more traumatic. Since Elon Musk bought the defunct Twitter, today the X, in October 2022, 80% of the platform’s original staff was thrown out. At the time of the layoffs, many workers reported that before being officially notified of their layoffs, they had their entry blocked in the offices, the same happened to the facilities located in the Brazil. The “humanized dismissal” not only results in a positive relationship with the former employee, but also contributes to maintaining an atmosphere of stability within the company, which impacts both those who remain on the staff and those who were dismissed, as explained by Eliane Ramos, president of the Deliberative Council of the Brazilian Association of Human Resources (ABRH Brasil). “The practices used in a more humanized dismissal will help us to alleviate the suffering of those who are leaving, those who received this news, but also those who are also staying. Disconnecting a collaborator is never easy for anyone, much less during mass cuts. Eliminating vacancies and replacing employees is sometimes a super important measure for the business to keep happening. It is a difficult decision to make, but no one feels welcome if they are dismissed by WhatsApp”, comments the President of the Board. Another process that Eliane highlights as important is the training of the leadership who is in charge of notifying the employee of the dismissal. The professional needs to be as clear and truthful as possible when giving feedback to the worker so that he understands the reasons that led him to the cut list. “The manager has to explain the reason for the cut, the reason that person is being dismissed, what are the benefits packages, whether in a large or a small company. What also needs to be offered is what is most important: listening. We know very well that this employee who is leaving has a lot to say, so we need to be actively listening. The dismissed employee needs to recognize what belongs to him and what belongs to the other ”, she completes. Providing assistance to the former employee and mediating a frank conversation between a leader and the person fired is more than adopting an empathetic posture. It is also to shield the image in front of the former employee, of those who continue, but above all to show the market as a responsible company. “In fact, the company needs to be careful in every trajectory that the employee is providing service. With my experience in people management, companies that use humanized dismissal value their workforce, their cultural fit and, above all, loyalty to this professional to their organization, loyalty, if one day they need this professional back. And yes, build a good image of the company in the market”, analyzes Michelle Ody, Career Coach and CEO of DesenvolvimentoR Training and Consulting. Gradually, the dismissals characterized as “more considerate” are no longer exclusive to large companies and are becoming a reality for medium and small companies as well. This occurs in a context where consumers are not only concerned with the content or service, but also with the posture adopted by the supplier. “In reality, the practices of ‘humanized dismissal’ are part of the process of a more humane and welcoming leadership. If we assume that every human being deserves to be valued and treated with respect and empathy, there are no areas or corporations that need a ‘humanized dismissal’ more than others. They all do. This is undoubtedly a strong trend for companies of all sizes, especially in times where consumers are very demanding and are aware of the causes embraced by organizations”, evaluates Aliesh Costa CEO of Carpediem RH.