Layoffs

Avis Budget Group to close call center in Wichita Falls

01/05/2009

Avis Budget Group has announced that it plans to close a call center in Wichita Falls, in addition to a claims processing facility in Orlando, Fla., as part of its efforts to cut 2,200 jobs worldwide.

BoA plays role of savior in Chicago protest bailout

12/31/2008

When workers at Republic Windows & Doors in Chicago were given three days’ notice in December that the plant was closing, they staged a sit-in at the shuttered factory to demand severance pay and benefits. Republic told employees that Bank of America had canceled its financing …

State requests worker aid, passes stimulus bills

12/24/2008

Gov. Jon Corzine joined the governors of Connecticut and New York to request a $48 million grant for displaced financial workers from U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao.

Business is booming lately—at state unemployment offices

12/24/2008

The financial meltdown has spelled job creation for one office: The Pennsylvania unemployment hotline recently hired 132 additional staffers.

RIF or no RIF: 8 alternatives to consider before laying off staff

12/15/2008

If your organization isn’t already planning or implementing measures to cut labor costs, it may soon have to. News that the United States has been in a recession since December 2007 suggests that HR professionals should prepare to reduce the labor burden—if only as a contingency plan.

Coffee pot: $32. Keeping your job: priceless

12/12/2008

Under pressure to meet a shrinking budget, The Van Buren Public School District recently notified teachers that it would charge a fee for keeping small appliances in their classrooms. Teachers will have to pay $13 for a microwave, $32 for a coffee pot and $182 for a mini-fridge.

Judge halts prison closure after union files suit

12/11/2008

The union representing employees at the Pontiac Correctional Center has stalled closure of the maximum-security prison, at least temporarily. Livingston County Judge R. Michael Travers issued an injunction in November barring layoffs at the prison pending arbitration of grievances filed …

Half-staff calls for time-and-a-half?

12/11/2008

Forced to cut some 180 employees to make budget, the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) sent an e-mail requesting remaining employees to work overtime to manage its caseload. The union that represents DCFS staff called the idea “nonsensical” and refused the request.

Must we offer severance payments?

12/09/2008

Q. It looks like it will be necessary for our company to lay off several employees. Can you tell me whether we are required to pay severance? If so, how much?

Lawsuit: Lehman bankruptcy stiffed riffed NYC workers

12/05/2008

Miron Berenshteyn, a former computer programmer for Lehman Brothers in Jersey City, has filed a $5 million lawsuit alleging the company violated the federal and New Jersey WARN acts when it laid off more than 100 workers in September.