What Is The Best Day of the Week to Lay People Off?

As an HR professional, you might ask yourself: what is the best day of the week to lay people off? You might know the answer already: there’s no “good day” to lay employees off. It’s one of the toughest jobs an HR professional can face, and no matter when it happens, it’s never easy. However, being thoughtful about the timing can soften the blow for the employee, which can also make the process a bit easier for the HR team.

In this article, we’ll explore the options of when to announce a layoff to employees, and the potential impact this decision can have on individuals and teams.

In Canada, there isn’t any specific law that restricts the specific days when employers must give employees a layoff notice. However, Canadian legislation specifies some rights and obligations that employees have during a layoff, including how many days of notice they must provide to dismissed individuals. 

Here are the main points to consider:

According to Canada’s federal labour standards, if your organization decides to terminate an individual employee’s employment, its options are:

• Provide the employee with at least two weeks’ written notice. If the employee completed at least 3 years of service, the minimum notice must be equivalent to one week per completed year of employment, up to a maximum of 8 weeks of notice.
• Pay the employee their regular wages in lieu of notice.

If your organization is laying off various employees, here’s what it must do:

• Notify the Labour Program’s Head of Compliance and Enforcement in writing at least 16 weeks before the employment termination goes into effect.
• Immediately send out a copy of the notice to:
  • the Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
  • the Canada Employment Insurance Commission.
  • any union representing the affected employees, or to each employee not represented by a union. 

Alternatively, post the notice in a visible place in the workplace, or post it online in a place accessible to all affected employees.

HR departments have a lot to consider when planning a layoff. In its most basic form, the layoff plan should assess the company’s needs and objectives, develop a clear timeline, communicate with leadership, and ensure legal compliance. It’s also key to plan how the news will be shared, including the exact day for the communication, support the laid-off staff, and manage the transition to minimize disruption to the organization.

To help you navigate this scenario, we’ve published a blog with five tips for laying off employees where you can explore some best practices to handle the situation in an efficient and considerate fashion. We’ve also created an article with tips on how to write a layoff letter, including a template you can copy and adapt to your specific needs.

As mentioned before, there’s no such thing as the “best day to lay someone off.” When deciding the layoff date, HR should do its best to find a compromise between minimizing the emotional impact of the news, avoiding major disruptions in operations, and catering to your organization’s objectives. 

Let’s consider each working day of the week, and explore their potential impact on teams, individuals, and the company.

Mondays are often viewed as a tough day for layoffs. It’s the start of the week, and asking someone to come into the workplace just to be let go can feel harsh and insensitive. On the other hand, laying people off on a Monday gives employees more time during the week to begin their job search.

The middle of the week—Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday—is usually considered the best time for laying off employees. It doesn’t seem quite as harsh as doing it on a Monday while still giving employees some time in the week to get started on their job search. Moreover, it allows HR to use Monday to better prepare for the layoff process.

Just like Monday, laying off employees on a Friday can be tricky. Employees may feel they were made to work the entire week only to be let go at the end, even though you will pay them for that time. Plus, Fridays are usually more upbeat as people look forward to the weekend, so a layoff on that day can really spoil their time off.

On the other hand, conducting the layoff on a Friday gives the HR team plenty of time during the week to prepare, while giving employees, who might have an emotional reaction, the chance to process the uncomfortable news during the weekend.

While not always possible, HR teams should do their best to avoid layoffs during or near the holiday season. Making this decision can create a lot of stress for employees in a period when all they want to do is have a good time with their families—and when spending is higher than usual due to purchasing presents and entertaining. Also, this situation could negatively affect your company’s brand and reputation if the word gets out.

Choosing the right time in the day to announce a layoff can also be tricky. Laying someone off in the morning can feel awkward for the employee, as they’ll need to pack up their desk with coworkers around. Some may prefer it though, since it gives them a chance to say goodbye and handle anything related to the layoff throughout the day.

Conversely, laying someone off in the afternoon might be better for those who want to avoid drawing attention. They can leave along with everyone else and keep things more private. However, some employees may feel frustrated being asked to work 8 hours only to be let go at the end of the day. Think of how inconsiderate it would feel if they had tasks to wrap up and stayed late after a layoff—especially if emotions are running high.

Deciding which day to lay people off will never be easy. In all cases, when assessing the best day to announce a layoff, HR must find the best possible balance between picking a date that makes most people comfortable while meeting the organization’s objectives. Moreover, it should be part of a broader layoff plan to achieve strategic business goals while being empathetic and considerate with dismissed employees.

One central aspect of most layoffs nowadays is offering outplacement services. This way, the departing staff gets expert support to find their new relevant job while the surviving staff can be rest assured that they’ll be taken care of if they’re impacted by a similar event in the future. Ultimately, the organization will boost retention and productivity, and have an easier job managing its brand and reputation.

If you’re looking for an outplacement partner, contact our experts at Careerminds. They’ll be happy to discuss the benefits of working with a modern outplacement firm that is digital-first, results-driven, and has outstanding approval rates.

Rafael Spuldar

Rafael is a content writer, editor, and strategist with over 20 years of experience working with digital media, marketing agencies, and Tech companies. He started his career as a journalist: his past jobs included some of the world's most renowned media organizations, such as the BBC and Thomson Reuters. After shifting into content marketing, he specialized in B2B content, mainly in the Tech and SaaS industries. In this field, Rafael could leverage his previously acquired skills (as an interviewer, fact-checker, and copy editor) to create compelling, valuable, and performing content pieces for various companies. Rafael is into cinema, music, literature, food, wine, and sports (mainly soccer, tennis, and NBA).