Readiness is fundamental

摘要

Reductions in force-layoffs, in layman's terms-are unfortunately a common occurrence during economic downturns. That misfortune is compounded by the legal pitfalls RIFs present for employers. Being prepared ahead of time can reduce your legal exposure to these risks. Here are seven tips to pre-paring for layoffs: 1. Layoff decisions should be underscored by legitimate, non-discriminatory business reasons-job functions and operational necessities. Relying on objective criteria is less likely to result in claims of discrimination than relying on subjective criteria. Hard data, such as production statistics, seniority or a failure to meet specific performance criteria, are always preferable to more subjective factors (such as performance evaluations or an employee's "attitude").