Layoffs

The WARN Act: Notify staff before large-scale layoffs

10/01/2002

The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires certain employers to give employees 60 days notice before a plant closing or mass layoff. Some states also have plant-closure laws that add additional mandates.

Be consistent in reasons for layoffs

09/01/2002

When a Wisconsin company restructured, it laid off a 44-year-old customer service rep. None of her direct supervisors or co-workers took part in deciding which employees would be laid off. But …

Draft bulletproof waiver deals with 6 court-approved benchmarks

05/01/2002

Courtney Melanson suffered two years of unwanted sexual advances by her supervisor at Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI). She took medical leave due to the stress and, when she returned, BFI assigned her …

Job-bias complaints reach new high

04/01/2002

A rash of recession-induced layoffs in 2001 helped propel job discrimination complaints to their highest level in six years, according to new data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). …

Health Plan Cancellation Ends Your COBRA Obligation

04/01/2002

Q. Our business recently was forced to implement layoffs—and most remaining employees walked off the job. All were given a COBRA notice, but only one chose to take the coverage. Since this was a group insurance policy and only one person will now be insured, the insurer is cancelling our policy. What’s our responsibility to that ex-employee? —G.B., Texas

High court to weigh claims of ‘disparate impact’ by age

01/01/2002

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether workers who claim age discrimination can base their arguments on the fact that older workers at the company, as a group, were …

Laying off the layoffs

01/01/2002

Layoffs that aren’t handled well can trigger lawsuits, particularly if workers feel they weren’t treated fairly. But a recent survey shows that businesses are taking many steps to ease the impact. …

Scrutinize resumes; layoffs increase lying

10/01/2001

Raise your skepticism a few notches. RÃ?sumÃ? fudging is on the rise again. The so-called Liar’s Index, the percentage of applicants who falsify their educational credentials, has risen steadily …

Facing layoffs? Avoid laying the groundwork for lawsuits

07/01/2001

Trimming your work force without smart legal advice is like performing surgery without a doctor. You may remove what you intended, but the complications could be deadly. Even if you …

You can delay reassignment if your efforts are reasonable

04/01/2001

When Jack Jay tore his Achilles’ tendon, his doctor said he shouldn’t work anymore in a job that involved climbing. Unfortunately, his position as a millwright required him to climb stairs …