Since the start of the year, a whole bunch of tech firms have been going through a series of layoffs. The New York Times recently did an article about how such layoffs were “shocking” to a whole generation of workers typically Millennials and Generation Z who had never experienced such change before. (Generation X and
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Separation Agreements Are A Useful Tool…If Done Right
Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.
I suppose that’s the advice parents should be giving to their kids nowadays but it holds true in employment law too.
Take this sample severance agreement that shows up as number one on Google’s search for “severance agreements”.
It’s a terrible agreement.
Yes, it’s simple but it…
Three Things to Know Before Executing a Layoff
Imagine, hypothetically, that you are the head of a massive technology company. You decide one day that you want to layoff, say, 50 percent of the workforce tomorrow while offering employees a severance agreement. What should you know?
My colleagues, Gabe Jiran and Keegan Drenosky, did a whole webinar on the subject last month that…
Reductions in Force: The Two OWBPA Provisions You Need To Remember
Lately, I’ve been talking with more employers about permanent reductions in force.
It’s not fun.
And it’s not something I thought we’d be talking about 3 months ago, and yet it’s not foreign to me either.
In fact, I spent several of my earliest posts here on this exact topic.
As I talk with employers…
Tuesday Coronavirus Recap: Awaiting Congressional Action and More Layoffs
Before I do a recap, I want to share a hopeful tidbit. My friend Tim plays the bagpipes. For the last few years, St. Patrick’s Day (and the weekend) is his favorite time because his band rents a bus and tours pubs across Connecticut.
Suffice to say, there was no pub crawl yesterday.
But after…
Monday Coronavirus Recap for Employers – Mass Layoffs Are Here
Monday, March 16th was brutal.
I kept using that word over and over in conversations with employers who are watching their entire business disappear overnight.
Brutal.
Layoffs — at a scale that I think is difficult to comprehend — are sweeping through Connecticut businesses.
Restaurants? Closed (except for takeout or delivery).
Gyms? Closed.
Movie theaters?…
RIFs, WARN, OWBPA, Disparate Impact – An Alphabet Soup for a Future Downturn
In my prior post, I wondered aloud whether there were some rough waters ahead for employers. Apple recently announced that it would not meet it’s earnings estimates in the first quarter of 2019, in part because of soft demand from China. Other companies are expected to announce some similar issues.
Honestly, I’ve had enough conversations…
An Early Prediction for 2019? Perhaps Dusting Off Your Reduction in Force Guidance
You do a blog long enough and everything comes full circle. Back in January 2008, I took out my crystal ball and suggested that reductions in force (RIFs) and lawsuits would soon follow.
We all know what happened next. The economy crashed and discrimination claims at the EEOC peaked at their highest levels in more…
Is Your Workplace Prepared for Layoffs?
In the last few months, I’ve had some inquiries from employers asking about resources for layoffs.
Yawn.
Everyone remembers the layoffs of the recession, right?
Actually no, as it turns out.
In the ten years since the last great round of layoffs, there is a big group of new managers, directors, human resource personnel, lawyers…
How to Fire Your Employee Without Getting Sued
Before I even begin this post, let me advance the disclaimer right off the bat: Despite the title of this post, there is no sure-fire way to fire an employee without getting sued.
Indeed, the title is a bit of a misnomer. It’s often been paraphrased that anyone can sue anyone else for anything at…