Breaking the Taboo: Exploring HR’s Approach to Compassionate Layoffs and Other Employee
February 19, 2026 | 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Employee departures are inevitable, yet they remain one of the least intentionally designed parts of the employee lifecycle. This session explores the human, cultural, and organizational impact of layoffs and other employee departures, and examines how HR leaders can approach exits with greater consistency, compassion, and strategic intent.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Evaluate how employee departure practices—including layoffs and non-layoff exits—affect organizational risk, workforce stability, employer brand, and the experience of departing employees.
- Distinguish between reactive, one-off layoff responses and intentionally designed departure strategies that balance compliance, fairness, and meaningful support for employees during transition.
- Identify leadership-level practices HR can apply to manage employee exits in ways that reduce legal exposure, reinforce organizational values, and provide departing employees with clarity, dignity, and compassion.
Hosted by:
Location
Virtual - Zoom
Program Cost
SHRM Member: Free
SHRM Non-Member: Free
Program Speakers
Garrett Rice
Garrett Rice is the CEO of Callings.ai, an AI-powered career transition and outplacement platform designed to help organizations support employees through every type of departure—not just layoffs. Callings.ai provides structured, scalable support that helps departing employees regain clarity, momentum, and confidence while reducing risk and protecting employer brand. Before founding Callings.ai, Garrett spent years building and leading products at Apple and NeXT, and later led product at Maxon. His work focused on designing human-centered systems that balance precision, usability, and real-world impact—principles that now shape Callings.ai’s approach to modern outplacement and departure support.
Steve jaffe
Steve Jaffe is the author of The Layoff Journey and a four-time layoff survivor who helps professionals navigate job loss with clarity, resilience, and confidence. Drawing on a 25-year career in advertising and marketing—including work on the iconic “What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas” campaign—Steve reframes layoffs through the stages of grief, emphasizing healing before hustling and recovery before résumé writing. Through personal storytelling and practical insight, he shows how career disruption can become a powerful catalyst for reinvention and growth.