Laid-Off News

Woodside Elementary in Menlo Park Lays off Four Positions

Placer County Lays off Eight, More than 200 Positions Left Vacant

Bay Area Guild Fights Layoffs

How to Avoid Being Sued When Laying Off Workers

Come on, you knew I was going to do this one. Let's see what they have to say. Does anything sound familiar?

Review job descriptions and pay scales: Be proactive, take a close look at your company's job descriptions, and do a compensation analysis. Look at the responsibilities associated with each job, and pay attention to industry trends and standards related to those positions. In some cases, it may make sense to set maximum pay rates for certain positions.

Be honest in performance reviews: Make sure that managers are properly trained in how to give objective, fair, and consistent performance reviews, said Vann. Evaluation criteria need to be standardized and properly communicated to supervisors. When making cutbacks, make sure that decisions are based on reasons other than age.

Base decisions on positions, not people: Make sure that you are basing layoff decisions based on the need to eliminate certain positions, not specific people, Gilbert said. “If you're making business decisions based on the position and not the person, you'll keep yourself out of a lot of trouble,” she said. “It's always about the position, not the person.”

Train managers: Make sure managers and supervisors are well-trained in appropriate selection criteria when it comes to layoff decisions – especially if they are involved in identifying employees for layoffs, Vann said. It is important that they know the law, the EEOC, and the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Establish a review process: Before laying off employees, it's a good idea to benchmark against other companies to find out how they have managed similar layoffs. It's also a good idea to establish an independent internal review board to evaluate the list of employees under consideration for layoffs.

Consult an attorney: Before going forward with any reduction in force, consult a labor and employment attorney and review the list of employees, Gilbert said. Make sure you evaluate whether you are affecting an inordinate number of older workers or employees in other protected classes.