Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Layoffs have many downsides. Employee morale is guaranteed to drop. A company’s unemployment insurance premiums will rise, perhaps steeply. And if an employer provides severance packages and/or outplacement services, they could get very expensive. If layoffs are significant in number, a business may not be able to adequately compete once the economy turns around. And […]
I’m Dan Oswald, president and publisher of M. Lee Smith Publishers, and the newest blogger on the Employment Law Post. My first posts appeared on the Human Resources News blog. Here’s a list of those posts. The Time for Bold Action Keeping Your Eye on the Ball Bad Economy No Excuse for Not Succeeding Keep Long-Term […]
The nation’s economy and its impact on state budgets will be the overriding factor state legislatures address in 2009. Many states have already attacked their budget shortfalls by delaying projects, implementing hiring freezes, eliminating positions, and cutting programs. With predictions of continued shortfalls in 2009, state budgets will be first on the agenda for lawmakers. […]
As surely as the word “layoffs” have become part of nervous break room conversations in companies across the country, enterprising employers have sought out creative alternatives to the standard layoff regime of cost-cutting. Using tactics such as hiring freezes, offers of unpaid leave, shortened workweeks, and even pay cuts, employers may be able to avoid […]
As more and more companies struggle in this tough economy, many are forced to implement reductions in force (RIFs) and layoffs. Often, RIF decisions lead to litigation if not properly planned. In a recent case, the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that an employer didn’t discriminate against employees based on gender even though […]
by Sarah McAdams For some companies, layoffs will be inevitable. If your company is part of that “some,” of course you’ll do everything you can before conceding that a workforce reduction is the only option. Just make sure that “everything” includes exploring a potential work-life balance solution. That’s right, even in this bleak economy when […]
(Updated April 2009) by Boyd Byers Writer Sebastian Junger coined the phrase “perfect storm” to describe the simultaneous occurrence of different weather phenomena that combine to create a powerful nor’easter (a storm blowing from the northeast). Is a confluence of cultural, economic, and political events whipping up a perfect storm for employment law claims? Many […]
When a company downsizes, it can feel like a civil war, with employees worried about whether they will be next on the chopping block. Such times can be hazardous for employers, which may find themselves tiptoeing through a minefield of explosive discrimination lawsuits. In the case below, recently decided by the Tenth U.S. Circuit Court […]
by Carol A. Hacker The November 2008 U.S. job loss report was staggering. More than 500,000 jobs shed in one month, the worst one-month job loss since December 1974. That brings the 2008 job loss total to 1.9 million.And according to a New York Times report on the job loss situation, deeper cuts will probably […]
by Gary Fealk Downsizing can be an effective strategy for building a more efficient organization going forward. But it can also lead to legal liability and may not accomplish the desired cost savings unless an employer implements a carefully considered plan. HR Guide to Employment Law: A practical compliance reference manual covering 14 topics, including […]