Taking the Edge Off Getting the Ax

摘要

Even before September 11, more than 1.5 million American work-ers had been hit by mass lay-offs this year. Economists say things are likely to get worse. But if the em-ployer's scythe finds you, don't feel you are powerless. There are strategies you can use to walk away with the best possi-ble financial deal, and with your profes-sional reputation intact.rnJust understanding that a firing is a nego-tiable transaction helps you avoid the biggest mistake workers make, says Steven Sack, a New York employment lawyer and author of Getting Fired (Warner Books, $7.99). "They bow their head and shuffle their feet out the door," he says. Yet even in a weak economy, you have leverage. Companies don't want to be sued by irate ex-employees. They don't want the kind of mean-spirited image that makes it harder to recruit in good times. And they don't want morale to plummet among remaining employees who see their colleagues hustled out the door.