What can companies or business owners do to make lay-offs better for employees?‚  Is there ever a “good way” to let people go? A blog post from the Boston Globe has some ideas for making the layoff process smoother—especially for smaller companies.‚  The advice includes: Show employees R-E-S-P-E-C-T- It doesn’t matter if the organization is eliminating three or three hundred jobs; each person should be treated with dignity and respect. How are people notified? Did they read about their job loss in a form email, or get a security escort from the building? Each person should get a private meeting with a manager to hear the news. What kind of separation package is the company offering? It should include a mix of benefits and severance to support people while they look for a new job. Is the organization providing any assistance to help those affected find work? When possible, companies should offer career transition support and access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to departing employees. Providing a financial safety net and outplacement services is the right thing to do. It also sends a message to current employees that the organization will take care of its people, even in the most challenging times. If you’ve been laid off or worked at a business where there were layoffs, do you feel like they were “respectful”?‚  What do you think could have made the process better?