A round of layoffs at St. Louis, Mo .-based Centene is set for Oct. 2 to Oct. 5. The plans are detailed in a 13-page set of confidential HR documents entitled “Supporting December Transitions” obtained by Health Payer Specialist. The last day of work for the fired brigade will be Dec. 8, 2023, the HR documents say.
The instructions in the HR documents offer a “notification meeting script” for those due to lose their jobs, one that suggests the number of firings will be large enough to have an impact on Centene’s bottom line.
In one-on-one meetings with employees who will be fired, the HR workers are instructed to say, “Thank you for meeting with me today. Over the last 18 months Centene has been actively working on its Value Creation Plan. . . We are facing headwinds related to the [Medicaid] redetermination process and the impact of Medicare Advantage Star Ratings.”
The script continues, “that unfortunately results in the elimination of your position. Your termination date will be Dec. 8, 2023.”
In the HR documents, the targeted workers are told they have 45 days from termination to sign or refuse to sign an agreement outlining the terms of severance. Workers will get health coverage and other benefits through Dec. 31, 2023.
The HR documents also include a “save the date” notice telling the HR workers of sessions set for Sept. 27 and 28 on “managing employee reactions” to learning they are losing their jobs.
One directive in the documents says the managers will learn to recognize and deal with the signs of shock, defined as when the worker appears “quiet, tearful, sad, and unresponsive.” Another learning module will tell the managers how to deal with worker anger, seen when a soon-to-be former employee “raises voice, holds aggressive posture, becomes argumentative.”
Still others will likely be in denial, seen when the worker “appears confused, avoiding eye contact.” Far easier for the managers will be those with an air of resignation, one who “appears calm, lacking in emotion.”
The training sessions are meant to make it easier on managers as well as the employees being terminated.
The unlucky employees “will exit the organization with respect, care, and concern,” the directives promise.
Centene did not respond to requests to discuss the pending layoffs.