‘It’s just a new way of thinking’: Why consulting firm We Are Rosie is paying departing employees

It’s just a new way of thinking. We follow up with people like, “What are you doing now? If you ever want to come back, you can do this.” 

[It’s] going beyond the status quo. Most companies say, “Oh, we pay severance to people that we terminate.” Like, what about the people that have contributed so much to your [company’s] growth and they want to leave, but they want to leave on good terms? There’s no question or concern about the bottom line.

(In an email follow up, Coleman confirmed We Are Rosie’s commencement pay is two weeks of continued salary pay on top of the departing employee’s final paycheck.)

This seems like a service that could double as an investment in hopes to expand We Are Rosie’s network.

It’s a little bit of that too. We fully recognize that sometimes even our consultants in our community, sometimes they become our clients and they may take a job somewhere else. By talking about it, we really want to open up the minds of other employers to make them realize it’s not a bad thing [when someone leaves for another job]. Of course it might take a toll on your team if someone leaves. But if you treat your people with dignity and respect, they’re more likely to give you more of a notice and help your team transition out and to give all the information that’s needed rather than waiting until the last two weeks to give a notice.

Has that been the case so far?

That’s what we saw. Instead of leaving the unknown with the team, everyone was really prepared. It makes a much smoother transition. It also eases the stress for the team as a whole and for that person that’s made the decision. They might help interview. They might help give a really good glimpse of what it is that the job would be for the person coming in. For them to be able to share, ‘Yes, I made the decision to leave. But this is how We Are Rosie handled it and you’re in good hands here’ is really important to us.

What do you hope the rest of adland can do to curb burnout and create more flexible work environments?

I don’t think people should be shamed or judged if they’re seeking professional and personal fulfilment. I think those two things go hand in hand. With the pandemic and the way the future of work is going, people are less willing to sacrifice. They know what they want and got a glimpse of what’s really important to them. If companies don’t start to lean into that more, they will have a hard time getting the best talent in their doors.