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Layoffs

The 6 kinds of terminations … and how to avoid lawsuits for each one

08/21/2008
Terminations are the spark to many employment lawsuits. And for each of the six kinds, there are some common steps employers can take to make sure they defend themselves if the termination is challenged in court …

Try these 10 creative alternatives to handing out pink slips

08/01/2008

Laying off workers can strain more than the employees who lose their jobs and the managers who have to deliver the bad news. Before your organization starts handing out pink slips, consider some alternatives that have worked for employers during past economic slumps …

Equality the Hard Way: Women’s Employment, Pay Decreasing

07/29/2008
The economy’s current slowdown—following seven years of growth—is erasing two decades of progress for working women. Women historically have weathered recessions relatively well. A new congressional report says that trend ended in the fourth quarter of 2007, as both employment rates and pay began to fall.

Contemplating a RIF? Use clear criteria for who loses job

07/09/2008
In these difficult times, your organization may have to undergo a reduction in force (RIF). If you do, it pays to develop objective standards for who can stay and who must go. By outlining your plan and sticking with it, you reduce your chance of losing a lawsuit a former employee might bring. Remember that fired employees will visit an attorney, who will try to find a reason to sue you …

Check post-Layoff rehire policies for disparate-Age impact

07/08/2008
In tough economic times, organizations sometimes have to make hard choices—such as whether to temporarily lay off employees. Of course, you’ll hope to ramp up staffing when the economy rebounds. That’s when you’ll need to be extra careful. If you bar workers you laid off from being rehired, you may be courting trouble …

Is there a Minnesota equivalent of the federal WARN Act?

07/08/2008
Q. We are closing one of our offices in Minnesota. The number of employees affected is not sufficient to trigger any notice obligations under the federal WARN Act. Does Minnesota have a state statute that would require us to give the employees advance notice of the restructuring? …

Brother, can you spare some tuna?

07/01/2008
Jevic Transportation employees, dumped unceremoniously when the company went bankrupt, have been fighting to get in the gate, not to voice their anger or serve a court summons, but to feed a half dozen feral cats that were accustomed to being cared for by Jevic workers …

The right way to prepare for layoffs … and some alternatives

07/01/2008
Because of the nationwide economic slump, layoffs are a hot topic these days. What sort of employment law issues should HR professionals consider when the possibility of laying off workers becomes increasingly likely? Here’s a step-by-step guide for smoothing out a difficult and painful process …

Severance pay in case of a layoff

07/01/2008
Q. Does Colorado require severance pay if companies do layoffs? …

About those waiver-and-Release agreements

07/01/2008
Q. Are there any special requirements for waiver-and-release agreements? …