Internal communication during a restructuring or collective redundancy is best started as early as legally and strategically possible, with a clear message from the highest-level leadership, aligned across all stakeholders. Those who communicate too late lose control of the narrative. Those who communicate too early without sufficient certainty create unrest and legal risks. The key lies in timing, consistency, and preparation. The questions below provide concrete answers to the most common challenges in communication strategy around a restructuring.
When do you tell employees about an upcoming restructuring?
You inform employees about an upcoming restructuring as soon as the decision has been formally taken by the competent bodies and the legal procedures have been initiated. In Belgium, this means that formal information provision to the trade unions and the consultation body precedes communication to the broader workforce. Never communicate before that formal step has been taken, but do not wait any longer than necessary either.
In practice, the timing is tight. Once the Renault Act applies, strict rules govern the sequence and content of information provision. Communication advisors, HR, and Legal must monitor that timing together. A common mistake is treating internal communication as an afterthought, when in reality it is part of the legal procedure itself.
What you want to avoid in any case: employees learning the news through the media before they have been informed internally. This deeply damages trust and is nearly impossible to repair afterwards. Plan internal communication moments concretely as part of the broader timeline, not as a standalone step at the end.
Who should deliver the message internally during a collective redundancy?
In a collective redundancy, the message is preferably delivered by the CEO or the highest-ranking executive of the Belgian entity. The choice of spokesperson is a strategic decision: the higher the sender, the more weight the message carries. A restructuring calls for leadership that does not hide behind HR or an external consultant.
That does not mean the CEO does everything alone. A layered approach works best:
- The CEO or managing director delivers the strategic context and the decision itself, in a direct, personal message to all employees.
- HR managers guide the process, answer questions about procedures and rights, and serve as the point of contact for individual situations.
- Line managers ensure follow-up within their teams, answer questions, and keep a finger on the pulse.
Each of these roles requires preparation. Line managers in particular are often insufficiently briefed, yet they are the first people employees turn to with their questions and emotions. Invest in a clear briefing for all managers before the message goes out.
What do you communicate and what do you not communicate during a restructuring?
During a restructuring, you communicate what is certain, what the process is, and what support is available. You do not communicate what is not yet final, what cannot yet be shared legally, or what is speculative. The line between transparency and premature unrest is thin, but it can be managed.
Communicate in any case:
- The reason and context for the decision, in clear and understandable language.
- How many positions or departments are affected, to the extent this can legally be communicated.
- What steps follow in the process and when employees will receive more information.
- What support is available for affected employees (outplacement, counselling, points of contact).
- How employees can ask questions and who they can turn to.
Avoid speculation about names, numbers, or timelines that are not yet confirmed. Also avoid the temptation to soften the message to the point where it loses its meaning. Employees will see through it. An honest, respectful message is always better than one that is vague or evasive.
How do you prevent conflicting messages between management, HR, and line managers?
You prevent conflicting messages during a restructuring by working from a single shared narrative that is embraced and communicated by all parties involved. You capture that narrative in what is known as a message house: a document containing the key messages, frequently asked questions, and agreed-upon answers, available to everyone communicating internally.
In practice, messages diverge because management, HR, and line managers each communicate from their own perspective without sufficient alignment. Management focuses on strategy, HR on procedure, and line managers on the day-to-day reality of their team. Without coordination, this leads to confusion among employees.
A few concrete measures help prevent this:
- Organise a joint briefing for all communicating parties before the announcement.
- Prepare a Q&A document with agreed-upon answers to the most anticipated questions.
- Appoint a central coordinator who monitors the communication and makes adjustments where needed.
- Create a reporting point for line managers who receive questions they cannot answer, so they do not have to improvise.
Consistency is not only a communication requirement — it is also a sign of respect towards employees. Those who hear different stories from different people lose trust in the organisation as a whole.
How do you communicate with employees who are not affected by the redundancy?
Employees who are not affected by the collective redundancy deserve their own, targeted communication. They witness what is happening to colleagues and inevitably ask themselves questions about their own future, the direction of the organisation, and the culture that remains. This group is too often overlooked in internal communication plans.
The message to unaffected employees must contain three elements. First, clarity about their own position: are they safe? Second, acknowledgement of the difficulty of the situation, without minimising what colleagues are going through. Third, perspective on the future: what is the direction of the organisation after the restructuring and what role do they play in it?
Do not ignore the emotional dimension either. Employees who remain may feel guilty, uncertain about the working atmosphere, or distrustful of management. Line managers play a crucial role in absorbing those feelings and restoring day-to-day trust. Involve them actively in follow-up communication, even after the announcement.
How do you handle internal communication when the press is already reporting on the restructuring?
If the press reports on the restructuring before employees have been informed internally, act immediately: communicate internally without further delay, even if the timing is not ideal. Employees who learn the news through a newspaper or social media experience it as a lack of respect. Every minute you wait increases the damage to internal trust.
Acting quickly does not mean acting unprepared. Make sure you have a holding statement ready — a concise internal message that acknowledges the facts, sketches the context, and indicates when more information will follow. That is better than silence or waiting for a perfect message that arrives too late.
At the same time, you must manage external communication. A spokesperson must be available for media contact and the external message must be consistent with what is being communicated internally. Two different stories — one for the press and one for staff — are not sustainable and will quickly become visible. The approach to crisis communication is therefore always integrated: internal and external communication as one coherent whole.
How Whyte helps with internal communication during a restructuring
Whyte guides larger organisations and multinationals through the complete communication strategy around restructurings and collective redundancies. This goes beyond drafting press releases or internal emails. We connect the communication dimension with the legal, social, and operational reality of the process, and work closely with management, HR, Legal, and line management.
Concretely, we provide support with, among other things:
- Developing an integrated communication plan with clear timing and sequencing for all target audiences.
- Drafting key messages, message houses, Q&A documents, and internal communication texts.
- Preparing and coaching spokespersons, line managers, and executives who need to deliver the message internally.
- Aligning internal and external communication, including media relations and stakeholder communication.
- Real-time guidance when the situation evolves rapidly or the press reports earlier than planned.
Every restructuring is different. The Belgian context, with its specific social dialogue, trade union structures, and media landscape, requires experience and local knowledge. Would you like to know how we can support your organisation? Get in touch for a confidential conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you build a message house for a restructuring and who is responsible for it?
A message house is developed in close collaboration between communications, HR, and Legal, preferably before the formal announcement. The document contains the key messages, the strategic rationale, agreed-upon answers to anticipated questions, and the boundaries of what may be communicated. The communications manager or an external advisor monitors consistency and ensures the document remains up to date as the process evolves. Those who do not prepare this document risk every department telling its own version of the story.
What do you do if a line manager has communicated the wrong message to their team?
Act quickly: acknowledge the misunderstanding internally, correct the information through a reliable channel, and immediately provide the line manager concerned with additional briefing. Do not wait in the hope that the problem will resolve itself, as incorrect information spreads quickly and undermines trust in the entire communication. Also use the incident as a signal to supplement the Q&A document and make the central reporting point for line managers more active. Transparent correction is always more credible than silence.
How do you deal with employees who spread incorrect information through informal channels, such as WhatsApp groups or workplace rumours?
Informal information flows are inevitable during a restructuring, but you can contain them by communicating quickly and proactively through official channels. The larger the information vacuum, the more actively the rumour mill turns. Provide regular updates, even when there is little news, so that employees know they are not being kept in the dark. Line managers are crucial here: they can quickly identify and correct incorrect information within their teams if they themselves are well briefed.
Is it wise to monitor external communication channels, such as LinkedIn or social media, during a restructuring?
Yes, actively monitoring social media is essential during a restructuring, especially because employees and former employees are increasingly sharing their experiences publicly. What is communicated internally can become externally visible within a very short time. Set up a monitoring protocol for relevant platforms and ensure that the spokesperson or communications team can respond quickly to incorrect or damaging posts. Consistency between internal and external messages is the best protection here.
How long does the communication effort around a restructuring last and when is it 'over'?
Internal communication does not stop after the announcement: the period that follows, also known as the ‘survivor phase’, requires at least as much attention. Employees who remain need time to process, regain trust, and reorient themselves within the organisation. Plan communication moments in the weeks and months after the restructuring, focused on perspective, culture, and leadership. Only when employees feel reconnected with the direction of the organisation is the communication cycle truly closed.
What are the most common mistakes in internal communication during a collective redundancy?
The most common mistakes are: communicating too late so that employees learn the news through external sources, softening messages so much that they lose their credibility, insufficiently preparing line managers, and completely forgetting unaffected employees in the communication plan. Another common mistake is the absence of a clear point of contact for individual questions, leaving employees feeling abandoned. Preparation, coordination, and empathy are the three pillars that prevent these mistakes.
When do you bring in an external communications advisor for a restructuring and what does that add?
You should bring in an external communications advisor as soon as the restructuring has been decided internally, well before the formal announcement. At that point, there is still time to develop a strategy, test messages, and prepare spokespersons. An external advisor brings independence, experience with comparable processes, and knowledge of the Belgian legal and media context. This is particularly valuable in situations where internal teams are too close to the process to communicate objectively.
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This content was generated with the help of AI and it may contain mistakes