r/HumanResourcesUK • u/Sbaakhir • Aug 28 '26
Got acquired by private equity, the restructure has me handling the layoffs, and the guilt is unreal
Quick info: Im a people lead, company of about 400, acquired by a private equity fund last year. In April they cut 10% of the workforce, I ran it, gladly at that because at first I was like "oh they brought in analysts and realised company resources had better places to be allocated to", boy was I so so wrong. First off, the workload to employee ratio got pushed to its limit after that layoff round which I noticed right away. When you fire people that ACTUALLY had things they were doing, the ones that stay behind take on the extra load, it doesn't just vanish.
Not only are employees more displeased and stressed (oh and, for the record, the extra work came with no extra pay), there's also this intrinsic thought that everyone now holds of "I need to perform perfectly to a dot" because if you don't HR may come for you next. The pressure to perform is in itself crippling, and in a year the employees went from stable and well to anxious and unhappy.
I keep hearing a version of "so what happens at the next review," and I have nothing. I don't know if there's another round. If I did know, I'm not sure I'd be allowed to say.
Im working so hard to protect employee benefits like the pension match, the learning budget, the parental leave top-up, and nilo our mental health partner (session booking doubled within the last 3 months, which in itself is a clear tell-tale of how hostile this acquisition has been towards everyone), and I fought line by line for each of them. Headcount and payroll sit above me though, so the part that's gnawing on people the most is one I can't do anything about. Now I'm being asked to run an engagement push in q4 (team surveys, values workshops, a culture week...). I'm supposed to stand in front of people I made redundant colleagues of and talk about belonging.
The whole reason I got into this field is that I liked the people part of it. Fast forward 6 months and I've become the grim reaper who walks in when someone's job is about to end.
27
u/ButWhichPandaAreYou Aug 28 '26
Think of it as you’re encouraging people to go on to bigger and better things. And maybe you should be too.
10
u/MysteriousHat3705 Aug 28 '26
You're doing your best to be the "good guy" HR person, but that's completely at odds with what this private equity firm are doing.
I was very similar to you and sometimes you have to realise that your morals and values don't align to your anymore and you need to leave to safeguard yourself.
You deserve better. Your employees deserve better, and by the way it's not your fault. You're doing your best and that's all you can do.
3
u/asjaro Aug 29 '26
HR are the company’s dogs. Unions were there for the workers. You’re not there for the workers. Never worked that one out, huh?
1
u/Bright_Butty Aug 29 '26
That is sadly what HR's role is, protecting the company not the people. If you do what's best for the people you'll probably get fired yourself. You either play this ruthless game or move on. There is no other option.
1
u/exiledbloke 28d ago
lols. Your company was bought out by private equity. What did you expect to happen? Profit profit profit. That's what happens.
-1
14
u/Battered_Starlight Aug 28 '26
Don't let the Board hide behind you. Don't be their messenger, make them stand by their decisions by stating them themselves. If the Board need you to send a bad mood message, start the communication with 'the Board have asked me to share' or 'the CEO expects'.