• The HR Specialist - Print Newsletter
  • HR Specialist: Employment Law
  • The HR Weekly

Layoffs

Williams-Sonoma sticks fork in Camp Hill call center

02/24/2009

Kitchen supply store Williams-Sonoma closed its Camp Hill call center in January. The company opted to pay its employees 60 days’ wages in lieu of providing the 60-day warning required by the federal WARN Act.

New economic stimulus law will find HR working closely with accounting

02/20/2009

The politics of the economic recovery and stimulus bill President Obama signed on Feb. 17 have been the talk of Washington for weeks. Now get ready to figure out what it really means for business. Tip for HR pros: Plan on spending lots of time in the accounting department.

The safest way to handle calls for references and recommendations

02/17/2009

As the economy shrinks, unemployment is growing in New York and throughout the country. If your organization plans to lay off workers or already has, brace yourself. Lots of former employees are going to list you and your managers as references when they seek new jobs. That means it’s time to make sure you have policies in place on how to handle reference-check calls.

Mayors’ forecast: Ohio to see large job losses in 2009

02/12/2009

According to a forecast by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Ohio’s major cities will experience heavy job losses this year: Cleveland, with a current workforce of 1.06 million jobs, will lose 22,200 jobs. Cincinnati (1.04 million workforce) will lose 20,500 jobs. Columbus (948,000 workforce) will lose 7,700 jobs.

Mayors’ forecast: Miami job losses among nation’s worst

02/12/2009

According to a forecast by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the Miami area will suffer some of the largest job losses in the nation in 2009. Miami is expected to lose about 85,000 jobs this year. The city’s unemployment rate may exceed 10%.

Extended benefits to help 3,000 jobless Minnesotans

02/12/2009

One of the first laws passed this year by the Minnesota Legislature will help about 3,000 Minnesotans who were about to exhaust their unemployment benefits …

Target workers hit with layoffs

02/12/2009

Minneapolis-based Target, the nation’s second largest discount retailer, has announced it will cut 1,000 jobs in Minneapolis alone. Those cuts include 400 open but unfilled positions, in addition to 600 layoffs.

Best Buy also cuts jobs

02/12/2009

Best Buy, the nation’s largest electronics retailer, will cut an undisclosed number of jobs at its Richfield headquarters. The news comes after 500 employees already left under a voluntary buyout program.

How should we handle layoffs without risking discrimination claims?

02/12/2009

Q. We need to cut two employees from our marketing department. One of the employees we would prefer to keep was hired only six months ago. If we don’t base our decision on seniority, are we more susceptible to discrimination claims?

Factory sit-in workers file unfair labor practices charges

02/12/2009

The employees who took over Republic Windows and Doors, an Illinois window manufacturing plant, last year after the owner announced he would shut it down have filed an unfair labor practices charge against their former employer and the owner.