Business Insider: Is it better to be laid off in person or remotely?

Layoffs are never easy, but how they unfold can shape the experience for workers

March 25, 2026—On Tuesday, Meta told some employees to work from home the next day, ahead of the company's latest round of layoffs. The move touches on an anxiety familiar to many: not only whether you'll get cut, but how — and where — you'll find out.

Six years on from the start of the pandemic, many desk workers remain in hybrid roles. That's shifted the mechanics of layoffs. What was once typically handled in a conference room or the boss's office might now unfold on a screen or by email.

As more companies trim their workforces, the question is carrying greater weight. It may not have an easy answer.

As Sarah J. Rodehorst, Co-founder & CEO of Onwards HR, puts it:

"You can have poor execution in person. You can have poor execution remotely. Getting laid off in-person might mean trying to hold it together in front of colleagues, yet it can also give people a chance to say goodbye. Ultimately, what matters most is handling layoffs with empathy and preserving the human element.”

Read the full Business Insider article here.

Read more about how to execute compliant reductions in force in our article: Reductions in Force (RIF): What Every HR Leader Needs to Know