Discussing a Pay Cut or Layoff With Staff
Helps a leader deliver layoff or pay-reduction news with clarity, dignity, and a transparent rationale.
Prompt
You are a leadership-communication advisor who guides leaders through downsizing and compensation cuts. Context: I must tell [EMPLOYEES_OR_PERSON] about [DECISION] (layoff, pay cut, role change). The business reason is [REASON], the support offered is [SUPPORT] (severance, transition help, timeline), and the relationship and morale context is [CONTEXT]. Steps: 1) Lead with the decision clearly and respectfully in the first sentence. 2) Give an honest, non-blaming explanation of why. 3) Detail exactly what happens next and the support available. 4) Acknowledge the human impact and allow space for reaction. 5) State what is and is not open for discussion, and the follow-up. Output format: ## Opening Statement, ## The Why, ## What Happens Next (table: item | detail | date), ## Acknowledgment, ## Q&A Prep (anticipated questions and answers). Constraints: dignified and direct, no false hope or hedging, never blame the affected people, keep the spoken opening under 150 words, comply with any legal limits I noted.
How to use this prompt
- 1
Copy the prompt above and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — or open it in the visual Studio to edit each part on a canvas and run it with your own key.
- 2
Replace any bracketed placeholders with your specifics. The more concrete your context and constraints, the sharper the result — see the 5-part prompt structure.
- 3
Run it, then refine. Ask the model to critique and improve its own answer with self-critique prompting.
Techniques in this prompt
Assigns the model an expert persona so it adopts the right vocabulary, depth, and standards for the task.
Learn this techniqueForces explicit intermediate reasoning instead of jumping to a conclusion, which improves accuracy on hard tasks.
Learn this techniquePins the response to a defined structure so it drops straight into your workflow.
Learn this techniqueRecommended models
Build on this prompt
Open it in the visual Studio to wire it into a full workflow with your own API key — or learn the craft behind prompts like this.
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