Hello Community,
We are closing the first quarter of 2026 in a world that feels significantly more fragile than it did just three weeks ago. What appeared to be localized tensions in the Middle East have escalated into a tangible risk of global conflict. We cannot be "deaf" to these events; they don't stop at the office door or the edge of the Zoom screen.
Instability, economic pressures, and AI-driven restructuring are also leading to brutal workforce reductions. According to Layoffhedge:
160+ organizations have disclosed workforce reductions impacting 280,000 workers this year.
58% say more cuts are coming
During the internet boom, workforce reductions and litigation spiked together. But today, the conditions are even more complex. By the end of 2025, we were already witnessing a sharp decline in workplace respect and high levels of political polarization.
When global anxiety meets internal workplace polarization, the margin for error in leadership disappears. Because layoffs are not just financial decisions; they are legal and cultural events that can either stabilize an organization or trigger a spiral of conflict and claims.
Inside this Edition:
A framework to manage layoffs while protecting trust and reducing risk
A downloadable Reduction in Force Guide
How to prepare managers for high-stakes workforce changes
NEW! A Certificate Program to strengthen global Compliance
Registration is open for the AI in HR Experience Summit
🗞️ In case you missed it: ✨ This week, we are kicking off three Certificate Programs: Global Chief People Officer, People, Work, and HR Technology Strategist, and Workplace Well-Being and Mental Health Strategist. Enrollment is open for a few more days. 👉 See details and enroll here
HR INSIGHTS
A LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGING LAYOFFS AND PREVENTING CLAIMS
Whenever we see massive layoffs, the risk of employee claims rises. And litigation has been accelerating lately. In the US, employment discrimination new filings surpassed 20,000 in 2025, exceeding pre-pandemic averages.
This year, HR’s role as a "Strategic Risk Partner" will be at the forefront in protecting culture, supporting people (those who remain and those who are let go) and managers, while preventing risk.
And risk is created long before announcements are made, and often stems from a lack of rigor in planning, weak processes, and poor documentation.
If workforce reductions are on the table, HR leaders must start preparing now, focusing on six actions:
Align Leadership Early: Partner with the CEO and CFO and align on business rationale, cost targets, timeline, and legal exposure to reduce reactive decision-making later.
Document Alternatives: Assess (and document) alternatives that could achieve similar objectives. Hiring freezes, redeployment, reskilling, voluntary separation programs, or temporary furloughs may reduce disruption.
Audit Documentation: Review performance records to assess consistency and credibility. Ensure evaluations align with role requirements and business needs. If the documentation is poor, inconsistent, or overly subjective, address those gaps immediately.
Model Adverse Impact: Run demographic analyses and identify whether certain groups could be disproportionately affected. If patterns raise concern, revisit the criteria immediately. It is far easier to adjust selection logic before announcements than to defend it afterward.
Prepare Managers: Managers will deliver the message, and they must be prepared to have respectful conversations, clearly articulating why decisions were made. If they improvise or become defensive and inconsistent, these conversations can later be used as evidence.
Support Departing & Remaining Employees: Departing employees need clarity on severance, continuation of benefits, timelines, and available transition resources. Remaining employees want to understand whether their roles will change, what new expectations look like, and where the organization is heading.
Emtrain has developed a compliant, people-centered Reductions in Force Guide for HR Leaders to execute reductions responsibly. It offers practical guidance on:
Evaluating alternatives before initiating a RIF
Designing objective, business-related selection criteria
Navigating WARN and other legal requirements
Using AI responsibly in workforce planning
Communicating reductions clearly and respectfully
Avoiding common and costly mistakes
Planning is critical—but how managers handle the moment is what people remember 👇
Prepare Managers for High-Stakes Workforce Changes
Layoffs take an emotional toll on everyone in an organization. But managers often take the most difficult part. They are grieving the loss of team members while managing their own uncertainty. It’s important to support them before, during, and after the transition. Here are five things you can do to:
Provide clear guidance. Equip managers with talking points, escalation pathways, and clarity on what not to say.
Hold 1:1 check-ins. Give managers space to process emotions and ask difficult questions.
Offer mental health resources. Normalize stress and make support visible and accessible.
Create peer forums. Managers benefit from sharing experiences and learning from one another.
Ensure visible executive backing. Leaders should be present, host all-hands meetings, and reinforce alignment so managers don’t carry the weight alone.
As workforce decisions grow more complex, HR leaders must balance people strategy with global compliance and governance.
UPCOMING MICRO CERTIFICATE PROGRAM
STRENGTHEN YOUR GLOBAL COMPLIANCE LEADERSHIP
Managing workplace compliance across jurisdictions demands sound judgment, defensible documentation, and governance structures that withstand scrutiny.
The Micro-Certificate Program Global Workplace Compliance, Risk & Governance Leader, facilitated by Janine Yancey, CEO of Emtrain, equips experienced HR and compliance professionals to interpret global employment laws, oversee investigations, govern AI and data privacy risks, design codes of conduct, and report compliance posture to executive leadership and Boards.
Through five integrated functional areas, from global employment law and employee relations to AI governance and Board reporting, participants build practical frameworks to identify, measure, and reduce enterprise risk.
Starts April 23
100 % Virtual - Live sessions
This programs offers HR Credits (10 SHRM + 10 HRCI + 10 IHRIM)
Students get a certificate of completion, a Credly badge, and lifetime access to materials
Included in Premium and Premium+ memberships
More Certificate Programs Starting in April
Learning is one part of the journey—community is where these ideas come to life. And we have some fresh news coming from New York City! 🗽
HACKING HR COMMUNITIES
NYC CHAPTER UPDATES
🎉 The Hacking HR NYC Chapter Got Together, and the Conversation Was Everything
On March 10, the Hacking HR NYC Chapter sat down with local HR leaders for a Founders’ Council Dinner, and it was exactly the kind of evening this community was built for. Good food, real talk, and the kind of energy you only get when people feel genuinely safe to share what’s on their minds.
The big theme of the night? AI.
But what made it interesting wasn’t the topic itself; it was the range of where people are at. Some organizations are deep in implementation mode. Others are still figuring out where to start. That gap turned into one of the evening’s best moments, because everyone realized they had something to learn from the person sitting next to them. The group dove into everything from reskilling and critical thinking to rebuilding trust with employees, to what happens when the C-suite expects you to cut 40% of your team.
A few of the big questions the group wrestled with:
How do we actually balance growth and efficiency when AI is changing the math every few months?
What AI use cases in HR are worth pursuing, and how do we make the business case for them?
How are we rethinking trust, compensation, and reskilling before the old playbook becomes completely obsolete?
A big shoutout to NYC Chapter Leaders Natalie Fina, Noelle London, and Anna Lummus for pulling this together so thoughtfully, from the on-brand orange Post-its on the table to the post-event survey they sent out to keep the feedback loop going. They’re showing us all what it looks like to lead a chapter with intention. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to plan your next gathering… this is it.
Want to create a moment like this in your city or community?
Let’s make it happen.
📩 Reach out to Brizia Ceja Ibarra at [email protected] if you’d like to join one in your city.
As HR takes on a bigger role in shaping decisions and outcomes, these conversations are happening on global stages.
AI EXPERIENCE SUMMIT
AI EXPERIENCE SUMMIT LIVE + VIRTUAL
This year, the third edition of the AI Experience Summit will be LIVE and VIRTUAL!
June 16, LIVE in London (1 Basinghall Avenue)
Through our partnership with People Strategy Hub, we will host a high-intensity day of 30–40 minute sessions covering AI Leadership, Readiness, Governance, Work Design, Trust, and Responsible Scaling, with speakers from Microsoft, Imperial Brands, Moody's, and more.
Sessions span everything from leadership in the age of intelligent systems and diagnosing readiness gaps to agentic workflows, accountability in AI-augmented work, and proving measurable ROI in 2026.
Our Community members get important discounts:
Single Pass: £199 (Save £150)
Team Pass: £499 (Save over £500)
Team registrations are available. Reply to this email, and we'll take care of you.
🌟 Use our 50% discount code (valid only until the end of March): HACKINGHRSPECIAL
June 17-19 AI in HR Experience Summit (Virtual)
Registration is open for Hacking HR’s AI in HR Experience Summit Virtual (June 17–19, 2026) — 100% virtual, 100% FREE.
Over three days, each focused on a single theme, dozens of experts will join us to discuss the most pressing challenges at the intersection of people, culture, and AI-powered technologies.
JUNE 17: Strategic Leadership and AI Readiness
JUNE 18: Execution, Work Design, and Scaling
JUNE 19: Governing, Protecting, and Sustaining AI at Scale
Upcoming Partner Events
HumanX 2026 | Human X | April 6–9, San Francisco | Register now | Discount code: HX26P_HackingHR (save $855)
HR Analytics Summit | People Strategy Hub | September 3, London | Register Now | Discount code: HACKINGHR (20% OFF)
And because no matter how strategic things get, the “quick questions” never stop….
When those ‘quick questions’ are coming… this is your support system.
Finally, if your organization wants to connect directly with HR decision-makers, our upcoming summits offer unique opportunities to engage with the global Hacking HR community.
SPONSORSHIPS
Thousands of HR executives will gather at these upcoming summits in 2026 to shape the future of work:
Workplace Well-being and Mental Health Summit (May 05-07)
AI Experience LIVE Summit in London (June 16)
AI Experience Summit, Third Edition (June 17-19)
Workforce Strategy and HR Budget Planning Summit (September 08-10)
If your company provides solutions in HR tech, benefits, people analytics, DEI, or workforce strategy, these events are your opportunity to connect with the exact decision-makers who control HR budgets and are actively searching for partners.
👉 Book an Intro Call with Laurie Baggarly: [email protected] to explore sponsorships and secure visibility at the summits where HR leaders are making buying decisions.