Archive for the 'Layoffs' Category

Being Replaced by Computer Program Isn’t Age Discrimination

October 6, 2011 at 9:00 pm by: Alabama Employment Law Letter

Who knows? In 20 years, there might be a robot writing these articles; we’ve faced that reality. Eventually, we may all be phased out by machines, programs, and metallic entities, the likes of which we’ve yet to even imagine.
As the world has become more automated and efficient, we have all witnessed downsizing and have subconsciously [...]

EEOC Vows Renewed Vigilance Against Age Discrimination

February 17, 2011 at 9:00 pm by: HR Hero Line

The big news last fall from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was that  for the first year in history, retaliation claims had surpassed race discrimination claims as the most filed complaint in 2010. But the sleeper issue employers could be grappling with very soon is a significant increase in age discrimination claims.
Recently the EEOC [...]

EEOC Claims Reach Record Level, What Employers Can Do

January 13, 2011 at 12:08 pm by: Wendi Watts

When the economy declines, it’s a safe bet that the number of discrimination claims filed against employers will increase. And as we are currently in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression, employment law attorneys weren’t surprised when the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) reported this week that it received an unprecedented number of [...]

Making ‘Subjective’ Employment Criteria ‘Objective’

December 9, 2010 at 9:00 pm by: North Dakota Employment Law Letter

Most employers understand that they should discourage the use of subjective criteria to make hiring, advancement, and severance decisions. However, many supervisors still insist that they must consider subjective criteria because factors like “attitude,” “initiative,” and “reliability” simply can’t be made objective. True or false? Let’s break it down.
Every employee undoubtedly has certain tasks that [...]

Trade Secrets, Confidential Information, and Employee Theft

April 29, 2010 at 9:00 pm by: Missouri Employment Law Letter

by John Vering
A recent national survey found that 59 percent of employees who quit or were laid off or terminated in the last 12 months admitted to stealing company data, and 67 percent admitted to using their former employer’s confidential data to find a new job. Read on to learn what you can do to [...]

EEO Training Makes Economic Sense for Employers

March 11, 2010 at 9:04 pm by: Oklahoma Employment Law Letter

by Sam R. Fulkerson
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced in January that 93,277 workplace discrimination charges were filed nationwide during 2009 — the second-highest level ever — and monetary relief obtained for victims totaled more than $376 million. The 2009 data show that private-sector job bias charges alleging discrimination based on disability, religion, and [...]

Shorter Workweek in a Tough Economy

February 4, 2010 at 9:00 pm by: Wisconsin Employment Law Letter

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 discussions [...]

Tips for Minimizing Risk When Cutting Labor Costs

December 30, 2009 at 11:57 am by: Colorado Employment Law Letter

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 employees [...]

Proceed with Caution When Rehiring Laid-Off Employees

July 17, 2009 at 2:04 pm by: Tennessee Employment Law Letter

by Kara Shea
One hopeful sign that our economy is perhaps inching back in the right direction is the number of calls I’ve received in recent weeks from clients inquiring about hiring back employees let go during a reduction in force (RIF). Some employers have told me they’re contemplating bringing back certain positions, or even entire [...]

Losing More Than Just an Employee: Protecting Confidential Information

May 29, 2009 at 10:23 am by: Oklahoma Employment Law Letter

by Rachel Blue
Lately, we’ve seen a lot of employees walking out of buildings and plants with boxes of framed photos from their desks or lockers, and maybe a severance check in an envelope. The job cuts this time are deeper, and the next job may be further away than in the past. As a result, [...]