This is the first of a two-part Business English Pod series on giving bad news and layoffs.

If a person gets “laid off”, it means they will lose their job. But it’s not the same as being fired. Layoffs usually occur because of outside forces. poor economy might cause [bad word] to reduce its staff. Or changes in the industry may make some types of jobs unnecessary. After a merger, there might be redundancies, or duplicates. Two people may be doing the same type of job. If [bad word] only needs one person in that position, the other could be laid off.

Nobody likes giving bad news. And a conversation about layoffs can [bad word] awkward and emotional. So in this lesson, we’ll talk about ways to prepare an employee for bad news so that you can soften the shock. We’ll also cover ways to get to the point and how to respond to an angry or emotional employee. Finally, we’ll go over some language to clearly explain the reasons for a layoff.

Angela and David work at a hotel resort that is having some financial difficulties. Angela is a manager and David is the head chef at Zapata’s, one of the resort’s restaurants. Unfortunately, Angela has to tell David he’s being laid off.

Listening Questions

1. Why has management decided to close 2 restaurants?
2. What type of food does Zapata’s serve?
3. Specifically, why is Zapata’s closing?