When You Lay Off The Wrong People

So your business needs to cut expenses, and downsizing your workforce is a necessary component in reduction.

But who do you lay off?

It's a complicated task, and you need both an organizational development expert and likely an experienced employment attorney to guide you, because it's not as simple as it seems.

For example, an older and more expensive employee may be your first choice for termination - but there are unforeseen problems. You can't just lay off an employee for those reasons (which is why you need that OD consultant and attorney). Or, if you do, you could spend a lot more in legal fees and lawsuits than you could possibly save with the cutback.

The EEOC reports that age discrimination filings leaped 29% in the year ending September 2008. Over 25% of all EEOC claims are now age-related.