To war-game a layoff communications plan, put the hour-by-hour schedule, every draft message (manager scripts, the note to affected employees, the all-company message, customer and partner notes, the investor update, and any public statement), the list of affected roles by location and team, and the access and payroll timeline into one request. Then instruct Pingpong to walk through the day as each group experiences it: an affected employee, a manager delivering the news, a remaining employee, a major customer, an investor, and a reporter. Ask where someone would learn the news from the wrong source, where messages disagree, and which steps HR and counsel must confirm. Do this before the date is fixed, while the order can still change.
This page is for chief executives, people leaders, and communications leads preparing a workforce reduction the board has approved or will review. It covers the order and content of the messages. For the structure decisions behind a restructure, see war-game a reorg before you announce it. Executive starting points live under Pingpong for executives. Employment law, notice periods, consultation requirements, and severance terms belong with HR and counsel in every location.
The usual order, and why it matters
- The board approves the plan and the date.
- Managers who will deliver the news are briefed and given scripts.
- Affected employees hear individually, from a person, before anything is sent widely.
- All remaining employees hear what happened, why, and what comes next.
- Customers and partners with changed contacts hear from their account teams.
- Investors receive a short note before they read about it elsewhere.
- A public statement is ready for reporters, matching every internal figure.
Each step that slips out of order creates a group that learns the news secondhand.
A worked example
This example is illustrative and does not describe a customer. A 700-person commerce software company plans to cut 90 roles, about 13% of staff, across offices in the United States and two European countries. The board approved the reduction last week. The draft plan has the all-company email at 9 a.m. on a Tuesday, followed by individual meetings through the afternoon.
The chief people officer pastes the schedule, all draft messages, the affected roles by country and team, the IT access timeline, and the customer account list, and asks Pingpong to run the day.
From the affected employee's side, the pass finds that most people would read the all-company email before their own meeting. The IT timeline also suspends system access at 8 a.m., so some would learn from a locked laptop. Twelve affected people are managers, and the managers above them have no script for those conversations.
From the outside, 20 customer accounts lose their named success manager, and the plan has no reassignment list. The investor note is scheduled for the following week, though trade press would likely report the cuts within hours. The draft public statement says "under 10% of staff," which conflicts with the internal message.
The pass flags two items for HR and counsel instead of offering answers: the two European countries may have consultation and notice requirements that make a same-day process inappropriate, and the plan has no severance and benefits FAQ for affected employees. It also notes that the all-company message explains the cuts but says little about the strategy the remaining team will pursue.
The team revises. Counsel confirms that the European roles follow a separate consultation timeline, so the United States reduction proceeds first and the European process begins with employee representatives the same week. Individual meetings run in the morning, and the all-company message goes out at noon. Access changes after each meeting ends. Senior leaders receive scripts for the twelve manager conversations. Account teams contact the 20 customers that afternoon with new names. The investor note goes out at noon, the public statement uses the 13% figure, and directors receive the final schedule two days ahead.
A request you can copy
Below are our workforce reduction schedule, all draft messages, affected roles by location and team, and our access and payroll timeline. Walk through the day as an affected employee, a manager delivering the news, a remaining employee, a major customer, an investor, and a reporter. Flag anywhere someone would learn the news from the wrong source or in the wrong order, any figures or claims that differ between messages, and any gaps in support for affected people. Do not give legal advice. Mark notice, consultation, and severance questions for our HR team and counsel.
How Pingpong runs the war-game
The web review app sends your request through several models in order. Each later model receives the original request and every earlier answer, with instructions to assess the work so far. Confirm every timing change with HR, IT, and payroll before you adopt it. For the steps inside the app, see running your first review.
What a model can't war-game
A model does not know your employment contracts, local law, or how your people will react on the day. It cannot judge whether the reduction is the right decision. HR and counsel own legal requirements in each location, and leaders own how the news is delivered.
When the plan goes to the board, see war-game a decision before the board meeting. More guides live under work decisions before you commit.