Tag: Layoffs

Layoff Anxiety and Approaches to Termination

There is a lot of talk about the upcoming recession. That and other factors have made a lot of employees afraid that they might soon be laid off. The term for this fear is “layoff anxiety.” I recently had a chance to speak with an HR executive with relevant expertise about research into layoff anxiety.

layoff

GM Signals New Employment Objectives Amid Layoffs

General Motors (GM)—America’s largest automobile manufacturer—recently announced it would be offering buyouts to roughly 18,000 salaried workers. Unfortunately for the automotive giant, only about 2,250 employees went for that offer.

How Will a Minimum Wage Increase Impact You? CFOs Weigh In (Survey)

Nearly 75% of minimum-wage paying firms in the United States say they would reduce current or future employment if the minimum wage is raised to $15 per hour, according to a recent survey of senior finance executives. The Duke University/CFO Global Business Outlook survey has been conducted each quarter for two decades. The latest survey […]

It’s never easy, but Oprah delivers layoff news in person

Last week, entertainment powerhouse and former talk-show host Oprah Winfrey announced that Harpo Studios in Chicago will be closing its doors by the end of the year, resulting in the loss of nearly 200 jobs. In typical Oprah fashion, she delivered the bad news to her employees in person, probably ambling around the room, microphone-in-hand, […]

Lessons from the U.S. government shutdown

By Julia Kennedy It should be a relief to many employers (and employees) that their company has just one board of directors, with no second house to blockade budgets, freeze operating funds, or send large portions of the workforce home. Since an estimated 800,000 U.S. government employees were “furloughed” or required to work without pay […]

The Face of Compensation for 2013

Where We’ve Been First of all, let’s look at where we’ve been, says Pasteris, who is president of TLMP Consulting Group. She offered her suggestions during a recent webinar sponsored by HRHero/BLR. In the past few years, she says, we’ve seen: Hiring freezes Promotion/relocation freezes Reduced or postponed bonuses Salary freezes Salary cuts Layoffs Survivor […]

Layoff as constructive dismissal: a cautionary tale for employers

By Ralph N. Nero and Keri L. Bennett When is a layoff not a layoff? When it is a constructive dismissal, according to an Ontario judge. McLean v. The Rawyal Limited Partnership reaffirms the principle that unless incorporated as an express or implied term of the employment contract, a layoff may be treated as constructive […]

Lack of trust was the main ingredient in Hostess’ demise

by Dan Oswald It’s a sad day for me. Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies, Ho-Hos, and Ding Dongs, is going out of business. While my midsection may not look like it, I haven’t had a Twinkie—or any other Hostess product, for that matter—in more than 30 years. But I hate to see them go. […]