Dr. Nita Chhinzer, a professor in the Department of Management in U of G’s Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, spoke to the Toronto Star about the downsides of video-call layoffs.

The article noted that several Canadian corporations have recently laid off employees en masse through short and largely impersonal video conference calls. Chhinzer said while conference calls can be the easiest way for companies to conduct layoffs in the age of remote work, the experience is isolating for employees and deprives them of the opportunity to understand the reasons for their termination.

“It’s extremely isolating, being laid off at home. We don’t get to meet face-to-face and discuss what happened, we don’t get the same kind of warnings to help us prepare for negative organizational events,” she said.

“….It’s depersonalized and ignores our need for more of a back-and-forth.”

Chhinzer is a professor of human resources whose research focuses on downsizing practices, procedures and ethics.