Universal Orlando Resort’s president expresses gratitude for employees after ride tragedy, Starbucks’ CEO breaks news of closings and layoffs

Greetings, comms pros! Let’s take a look at a few news stories from the last week and see what we can learn from them.

1. Universal Orlando Resort thanks employees for ‘compassion’ after guest death on ride

Universal Orlando Resort President and Chief Operating Officer Karen Irwin shared a memo with the organization’s employees following the death of a park guest on a roller coaster at Epic Universe, which opened earlier this year. The memo, obtained by WESH, thanked employees for their “resilience, compassion and professionalism,” amid the tough moment, and expressed pride in how park staff supported one another and guests alike during the tragedy while sharing condolences with the family of the victim. Additionally, the memo stated that an internal investigation had shown the ride to be working properly at the time of the guest’s death and that all employees had followed proper procedures. This news was not shared via public press release, but rather via a note to team members, which they surely expected to quickly leak to the media and spread from there.

The memo shows support for the park’s employees in a tough moment, and that support from leaders can go a long way toward rallying employees through an undeniably tough time since some staff members witnessed the incident. The note lets them know that in hard times, the park will have their backs. It’s a big step toward building a culture of trust that flows from the top.

2. ‘Building a better Starbucks’: Coffee chain tells employees about layoffs and closures in memo

Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol told employees that the company is closing stores and cutting jobs to preserve the financial health of the organization. According to a memo obtained by CNBC, Niccol said the changes were put in place to build a “better, stronger and more resilient Starbucks”. He shared that Starbucks will notify coffeehouses that are slated for closure this week and try to place employees at other stores when possible. For others, it’ll offer severance packages.

Additionally, Niccol wrote that 900 non-retail partners will lose their jobs due to the reshuffle, and that the company will offer them comprehensive severance packages to those affected.

During the review, we identified coffeehouses where we’re unable to create the physical environment our customers and partners expect, or where we don’t see a path to financial performance, and these locations will be closed.

Each year, we open and close coffeehouses for a variety of reasons, from financial performance to lease expirations. This is a more significant action that we understand will impact partners and customers. Our coffeehouses are centers of the community, and closing any location is difficult.

Niccol’s note to employees is detailed in the reasoning for the move and the steps that’ll happen next. It also takes time to thank laid-off employees for their contributions and instill confidence in those who will remain. These are all important steps if you want to preserve a positive sense of culture among employees. If people feel that their leaders care, they’ll have a better opportunity to weather the hard times. These personal touches go a long way toward creating an employer brand that’s seen as supportive both inside and outside the company.

3. Tech and finance orgs send internal guidance after changes to H-1B visa program

The Trump administration announced over the weekend that it’s adding a $100,000 annual fee to H-1B visa applications, leaving communicators in the tech and finance industry scrambling to communicate guidance to employees who hold the visas in just two days since the changes were announced on September 19 and made effective two days later. Business Insider obtained several memos from companies including Google, Microsoft and Amazon, which outlined what employees needed to do as they gathered more guidance. A snippet o Google’s memo to employees is below.

What You Need to Know:

• If you are currently outside the U.S.:
  • If you are currently outside the U.S. with a valid H-1B visa, make plans to return and enter the U.S. before the Proclamation takes effect on Sunday, September 21 at 12:01 am ET (i.e. by this Saturday night).
• If you are currently in the U.S.:
  • We strongly advise against any international travel if you are in valid H-1B status or need to travel to activate your H-1B visa. You should remain in the U.S.

Departing the U.S. may result in complications or denial of re-entry under the new policy. If you are unable to return prior to the deadline in H-1B status: please reach out to go/immigration-help.

We understand this may create challenges, and we are here to support you. We are actively monitoring the situation and will keep you updated as we learn more.

The sudden nature of the H-1B proclamation forced companies with lots of employees on the program to act quickly, and Google’s statement does say that they’ll work to provide updates as they come. The memo is effective because it clearly outlines what employees need to do to best avoid problems with the new policy, like avoiding international travel. But the memo also has an air of uncertainty to it as Google admits it’ll also be waiting to learn more. Additionally, the memos point to internal resources employees can use to navigate their visa situation.

These kinds of communications call for a formula — be clear in telling people what they need to do, point them to how the company can help and commit to keeping them updated. Communicators don’t control policies, but they do control the reaction to them and can help employees steer through unforeseen challenges like this one.

4. How about some good news?

• Scientists named a deep-sea coral after Star Wars character Chewbacca.
• The Richmond Zoo in Virginia welcomed six baby cheetahs.
• A woman who won $150,000 in the lottery donated it all to charity.
• Ragan Training is great for communications pros to find inspiration and resources.
• You should be rewarded for your work. Find out how to earn an award here!

Have a great weekend comms all-stars!

Sean Devlin is an editor at Ragan Communications. In his spare time he enjoys Philly sports and trivia.