Total Articles: 21
Healthcare Industry: Planning For Reorganizations And RIFs
Historically, the healthcare industry has not experienced layoffs of the magnitude seen by manufacturing and other sectors during the recent economic downturn. But with changes in healthcare, including changes in reimbursements, some employers may be faced with difficult choices, including reorganizations and layoffs.
Perils of Laoyffs, Reduced Workweeks and Other Payroll Reductions Measures.
Today's difficult economic and financial climate has many companies considering various cost-cutting measures, including layoffs, reduced workweeks, pay reductions and voluntary furloughs. These actions raise wage and hour questions that often are overlooked. The unwary employer may reduce payroll costs but wind up with a wage and hour lawsuit as a result. The good news is that a well-informed employer can avoid such risks.
LAYOFFS: HOW TO AVOID DISASTER.
If you're like other employers, you feel pressure to cut costs while you wait out the economic recovery. But, if you see layoffs as an option in responding to that pressure, you must be careful. A single misstep can subject you to potentially ruinous claims from departing employees.
Get Creative, Save Money: An Employer's Guide to Alternatives to Layoffs (pdf).
Companies, large and small, are announcing layoffs
everyday. According to the Department of Labor’s Bureau
of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 2,227 mass layoff
actions in January 2009 involving over 230,000 workers.
If you are paying attention to layoff trends, however, you
will notice a growing favor for alternatives to layoffs.
Thinking creatively has always been a business necessity
and in this economic environment it is imperative for
companies to come up with new ways to cut labor costs
while maintaining a competitive edge. This article reviews
some alternatives to layoffs and how these alternatives
can have a greater impact on the bottom line than traditional
reductions in force.
New Reduction in Force Checklist (pdf).
Outlining proper steps.
Caught in the Middle: Rising Unemployment Takes Its Toll on Older Managers.
U.S. recessions since the oil crisis in the early 1970s each had their own special causes and victims, but they also had something in common: They were over relatively quickly. The current downturn, however, is deeper and already longer than any since World War II. This spells trouble for one especially vulnerable group -- managers in their 40s and early 50s. They tend to be more expensive than their younger counterparts; they may lack some of the high-tech savvy needed to succeed in a more efficient workplace; and they face a downsized job market that will stay that way much longer than usual.
Planning to Make Layoffs? Here Are Some Key Benefits Issues to Consider.
In this time of economic uncertainty, employment and benefits issues are topics biodiesel plant owners and industry participants must address. Among the myriad of legal and practical considerations are the impact of workforce adjustments on employee benefits, such as company’s retirement plans and COBRA obligations.
Are You Laying Off Employees or Planning To? Here Are Some Key Benefits Issues You May Need to Consider.
There are many legal and practical issues surrounding workforce reductions, layoffs, and other cost containment measures such as furloughs, reduced work schedules, and compensation adjustment. In this time of economic crisis, our clients frequently seek our assistance in implementing the various alternatives for tightening the Company belt. Members of our Employment Law and Benefits Groups are pleased to assist in addressing both the legal and practical implementation of workforce adjustments. Past articles on the topic in this newsletter have focused on such areas as avoiding the potential for discriminatory impact, federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act obligations, and other overall employer obligations. Among the myriad of legal and practical considerations are the impact of workforce adjustments on employee benefits, such as the Company’s retirement plan(s) and COBRA obligations.
WHEN LAYING OFF WORKERS, BEING GENTLE COULD MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
The legal press is full of bad news regarding the economy's effect on law firms. Hardly a day goes by without news of layoffs and even the dissolution of firms considered to be robust just months ago. The same media have noted no shortage of employment law work, which is true for us and colleagues with whom I have spoken.
Half-a-Million Job Cuts: Is There a Strategy Behind the Layoffs?
In a single week in January, corporations around the world laid off nearly 100,000 workers. Since September last year, more than half a million jobs have been eliminated, even at companies that were doing well some time ago.
Reductions in Force – Immigration Tips for Employers (pdf).
In these tough economic
times, many employers are
reducing their workforces.
Companies that employ
foreign nationals have
additional obligations when
terminating employees in H-1B
(Specialty Occupation) status.
As Layoffs Spread, Innovative Alternatives May Soften the Blow.
Just how bad will the economy get? For employers facing tough decisions about layoffs, the question is far from rhetorical. If the current economic turmoil is contained sooner than expected, premature layoffs could be a disaster. If not enough employees are laid off and the recession continues, the company's bottom line could suffer. And in any scenario involving layoffs, morale among those employees remaining at the company is sure to plummet.
As Layoffs Spread, Innovative Alternatives May Soften the Blow.
Just how bad will the economy get? For employers facing tough decisions about layoffs, the question is far from rhetorical. If the current economic turmoil is contained sooner than expected, premature layoffs could be a disaster. If not enough employees are laid off and the recession continues, the company's bottom line could suffer. And in any scenario involving layoffs, morale among those employees remaining at the company is sure to plummet.
Follow Proper Procedures for Reductions in Force (RIFs) to Protect Your Company During Economic Downturn.
According to the Labor Department's monthly job reports, September has brought a record number of job losses and with the economic downturn, and more losses are predicted to follow in October and the months to come.
Reducing Headcount Without Increasing Risk.
In a slumping economy, the cost side of doing business comes under significant scrutiny in all industries. This is certainly no different for retailers, which are often the hardest hit in a recession economy. Given that labor is generally the largest or second largest expense for retailers, labor is one of the first areas targeted for cuts. But unlike reducing inventory, delaying expansion plans, or monitoring fuel use, when labor is cut, real people take the hit and sometimes they come back swinging.
Navigating a Reduction in Force (pdf).
No matter what you call it—a recession, a sluggish environment, or a
downturn—it’s clear that the economy is far from robust. Because job
losses are an inevitable part of any economic downturn, it is wise to plan
ahead, whether you believe your company will be able to weather the
storm successfully or you expect to face the painful task of cutting jobs.
Downsizing: An Ounce of Prevention Versus a Ton of Litigation (pdf).
Seven-Figure Settlements Can Wipe Out Reduction-in-Force Savings.
Navigating a Reduction in Force.
No matter what you call it—a recession, a sluggish environment, or a downturn—it’s clear that the economy is far from robust. Because job losses are an inevitable part of any economic downturn, it is wise to plan ahead, whether you believe your company will be able to weather the storm successfully or you expect to face the painful task of cutting jobs.
Planning A RIF? Read This First!
In reductions in force (RIFs), most employers offer terminating employees extra pay in return for agreements releasing legal claims. The extra pay helps workers transition to new employment; the releases enable the employer to move forward without the risk of costly and distracting RIF-related litigation. In recent cases, however, RIF-ed employees have convinced federal courts to invalidate their release agreements.
The Ins and Outs of Buyouts: Should Companies Offer Them? Should Employees Accept Them?
When General Motors last month offered buyouts and early retirement packages to 113,000 hourly workers, the move focused new attention on a key aspect of the continually evolving relationship between employers and employees.
reducing the workforce: a primer on avoiding legal snags.
Offers strategy to reduce litigation risks when you decide to conduct a reduction in force (RIF).
