Connecticut Employment Law Blog Insight on Labor & Employment Developments for Connecticut Businesses

Tag Archives: reduction in force

Birthday Parties Not Enough to Support Inference of Discrimination; Shifting Reasons for Termination Get Case to Jury Though

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance

Last month, I highlighted a federal case in Connecticut where the court threw out an age discrimination claim because the evidence presented by the employee was not strong enough to survive a summary judgment claim. A new federal court case however has allowed an age discrimination claim to proceed even while noting that while the… Continue Reading

DOL Issues Fact Sheet on Furloughs Providing Needed Guidance to Employers Facing Tough Times

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations, Wage & Hour

Last month, I discussed the topic of furloughs, which have become an attractive option to employers in lieu of layoffs. Recently, the United States Department of Labor issued a "fact sheet" that provided additional guidance for employers to some frequently asked questions on the topic.  As the Employer Law Report said,  "While the fact sheet contains no… Continue Reading

Mandatory Furloughs – The Risks of Using Them in Connecticut

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Wage & Hour

One of the latest fads in employment law has become a peculiar side effect of this recession — the increase in the use of mandatory furloughs. What are they? Well, in simple terms, they are orders from an employer to an employee that they take a day (or multiple days) off without pay. In doing so,… Continue Reading

From the CBIA Conference: Difficult Times Present Challenges But Also Opportunities

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance

At a CBIA seminar yesterday where I spoke, several speakers discussed the challenges that exist for companies in these economic times. One CBIA economist projected that the current recession will not bottom out in Connecticut until late summer or fall 2009. But the times also present opportunities, as well, the speakers said. Indeed, now may be the… Continue Reading

Develop Innovative Alternatives To Layoffs, Suggests Wharton School Article

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance

For anyone who watched 60 Minutes last night, you know that there is a great deal of pessimism out there about how quickly this recession will end. Employers are struggling to control costs and keep layoffs to a minimum. A new, thoughful article by the Wharton school suggests that employers be innovative in their approaches… Continue Reading

Separation Agreements: How Much Severance is Appropriate in Exchange for a Release?

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance

With all the talk about layoffs, separation agreements have moved front-and-center to the discussion on how companies can reduce their liability exposure. But how much severance should a company offer to its employees when laying them off? There is, of course, no set rule in Connecticut — or the United States — on how much severance… Continue Reading

Job Losses Likely to Increase In Connecticut; Lawsuits Soon to Follow?

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Litigation

The headlines over the weekend for Connecticut have not been kind.  Two were particularly striking. First, the Courant ran a story entitled "Sizable Job Losses Expected in State".  The second was a story about the expected closing of The Goodwin Hotel, one of Hartford’s premier hotels.  Both indicate a local economy that is teetering between… Continue Reading

Five Laws and Issues Employers Should Think About In This Credit Crunch and Economic Crisis

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Laws and Regulations

The headlines this week, particularly to those in Connecticut, sound an ominous tone.  Foxwoods announces layoffs of 700. And this morning, a new government report came out showing that employers shed nearly 160,000 jobs.  Where will this all lead? That’s the $1 trillion dollar question that is on everyone’s mind. But in the meantime, there… Continue Reading

Reductions in Force (RIF) Are Back; Are Employment Lawsuits (and MySpace Pages about Layoffs) Close Behind in 2008?

By Daniel Schwartz on Posted in Class Actions, Discrimination & Harassment, Human Resources (HR) Compliance, Litigation

These days, everyone seems to be jumping on the wage and hour bandwagon, predicting an endless stream of lawsuits for 2008, just as there was for 2007.  But just as mutual funds preach that "past performance is no guarantee of future success", I would argue that focusing too much on one trend, misses an opportunity… Continue Reading