Layoffs

Lay people off the right way—or face a whirlwind of lawsuits

11/22/2022

Layoffs are an unfortunate but sometimes necessary part of doing business. With high inflation and jitters over a recession, some companies have no choice but to make cuts. But there’s a right and wrong way to go about them.

Snapshot: High-tech, high layoffs

11/22/2022

The tech sector is not always a herald of larger economic trends, but the sheer number of people laid off during the first two weeks of November—about 20,000 employees—has staggered even seasoned HR managers.

Conduct a self-audit before finalizing terminations

11/17/2022

There’s a compelling reason to conduct a routine HR office review of all employment decisions before they’re finalized. That way, your HR professionals can do their jobs and confirm that the decision is based on objective information and business necessity.

Are you prepared for layoffs?

10/26/2022

Increasingly, workers who have sidelined themselves are returning to the labor market. This means new hires are more likely to come from legally protected groups, including those older than 40, the disabled and women with young children. Now is the time to prepare for inevitable layoffs in a way that doesn’t trap you in litigation.

Contract lapse can trigger employment suit

09/29/2022

Some employers assume that if they provide time-limited employment contracts, they can let those contracts expire without worrying about being sued for workplace discrimination. After all, when an employer and an individual sign a contract with an end date, it should follow that once that date comes and goes, neither has an obligation to the other, right?

Snapshot: Trend shift: Millennials now on the chopping block

09/20/2022

After suffering through the Great Recession and the pandemic, when the Great Resignation came along, millennials were among those who switched jobs for a better deal. Now they are among the most laid off.

Beware legal hazards of terminating remote employees

07/19/2022

For the first time, a significant number of remote employees may be included in layoffs. Layoffs of remote employees present unique legal hazards for employers.

Layoffs: Check job-cut list for discrimination liability

04/28/2022

Any time you must lay off employees, carefully review the list of people who will lose their jobs. Reason: Reductions-in-force are magnets for discrimination lawsuits.

Cost of an age-biased layoff plan: $2.25 million

12/22/2021

If you are planning to terminate many employees in a reduction in force, be sure to assess the possible adverse impact the RIF might have on older workers—anyone age 40 or older.

Set objective criteria for who loses job in layoff

08/05/2021

Use objective standards to decide who will stay or go during a reduction in force. That helps eliminate the chance that bias will taint the RIF process and trigger an employee lawsuit.