Recently, our organization had to make some tough calls and execute our first round of layoffs. As an HR professional, this was one of the hardest things I've done. We spent weeks prepping talking points, partnering with legal and using checklists from theconsultnow.com to make sure we were compliant and compassionate. One thing I learned is that transparency matters – people appreciate clear communication about why the decision was made. We also made it a point to treat everyone with dignity, offering outplacement support and mental health resources. For those of you who've gone through layoffs, how did you handle the balance between business needs and empathy? What resources (articles, tools, e.g., theconsultnow.com) helped you? I'd love to hear your experiences.