Tag: Layoffs

Working while on vacation, home office injuries, and tandem lay-off meetings

Employees go on vacation, but business doesn’t stop. So sometimes workers are asked to put in time when they’re expecting to be kicking back at the beach. Working from home is a popular arrangement, but what are the workers’ compensation implications when an employee is injured in a home office? Lay-off meetings are never easy, […]

Can’t We Use the ‘Faltering Company’ Exception for Layoffs?

Well, we’re faltering, you may think, so we don’t have to worry about WARN, but it’s not as simple as that. Exceptions to the WARN Act Notice Requirements The WARN Act’s notice requirements do not apply if the conditions of one of the following exceptions are met: Temporary facility Completion of a particular project when […]

Layoff, Furlough, or Pay Cut: Which Is Best?

When you’ve trimmed all the fat you can trim from operations and marketing and the budget still isn’t balanced, companies have to turn to labor costs. But what’s the best option? There are advantages and disadvantages to each. Hiring Freeze Instituting a hiring freeze is an almost knee-jerk reaction in many organizations. But there are […]

Leopard Teams Are $800 Million Better than Layoffs

Leopard Teams Gore was followed by Wayne Cascio, winner of the Michael R. Losey Human Resource Research reward, who related to the Advisor a story of "responsible restructuring." He says that in his research he found that when faced with financial challenges, CEOs tend to fall into one of two camps: One group says, "What […]

Tips for Managing a Reduced Workforce Cutting Corners to ‘Save a Buck’ Can Cost Millions Down the Line

by Warren Nelson and Karl Lindegren, Fisher & Phillips, LLP  In today’s tough economy, employers worldwide have been forced to shed key personnel in order to minimize costs. Companies large and small have reduced their workforce by drastic numbers, many left with no choice but to lay off valued employees. However, in the wake of […]

High Salary + RIF = Age Discrimination Claim

By Robert P. Tinnin, Jr. Q As a result of the economic downturn, we must lay off approximately half of our workforce. In considering whom we should select, it occurs to me that we could save the most money by laying off higher-salaried, nonmanagement employees. However, our higher-salaried employees tend to have the most seniority […]

Shorter Workweek in a Tough Economy

by Claudia N. Lombardo According to economist Dean Baker, President Barack Obama’s own economic team believes the President’s stimulus package will have no effect on unemployment — currently at 10 percent — two years from now. The announcement caught the attention of many employers, already worried about having to make future layoffs, and has initiated […]

Tips for Minimizing Risk When Cutting Labor Costs

by Mark Wiletsky Although we’re beginning to see signs of an economic recovery, many organizations are still grappling with how to stay competitive in this challenging environment. Layoffs, furloughs, and other methods used to cut personnel costs are often part of the equation. But the savings gained by those cost-cutting measures can be lost if […]

Wal-Mart Layoffs Declared Illegal by Quebec Arbitrator

As we have reported before (January 6, 2009, December 2, 2008, and August 26, 2008), Wal-Mart has repeatedly been dealt blows by Canadian courts and other decision-makers. Most recently, an arbitrator in Quebec has weighed in – and it’s more bad news for Wal-Mart in Canada. Wal-Mart’s store in Jonquiere, Quebec, was certified by the […]

Take Extra Care When Firing or Laying Off Disabled Employees

As a result of the recent economic crisis, many employers have been faced with the unpleasant task of laying off workers. But what happens when one of those employees is disabled? We recently received a question addressing that very issue. The situation involved a severely disabled part-time worker who was hired to stuff envelopes as […]