Reductions in Work Force
The following synopses of seven (7) academic journal articles were collected from the last five years. They are relevant to a variety of business practitioners from human resources management, internal and external legal counsel, as well as core management on the subject of workforce reduction.
1. “Legal Considerations of Workforce Reduction”
The first step toward minimizing legal risk in connection with a RIF is careful planning. To begin, think long and hard about the business rationale for the RIF. Specify the organizational changes that would be involved, articulate how and why those changes will affect particular jobs or departments, and calculate how the changes translate into a reduced headcount. Association leadership should consider possible alternatives to a RIF, such as a hiring freeze, voluntary exit incentive program, or reduction in salaries. At this stage, consult the association's employee handbook and other written policies for any restrictions on the organization's ability to terminate or lay off employees, and consider amending those policies if necessary (Camardella, 2002).
The next step, therefore, is to determine a fair method and defined criteria for selecting among employees in affected positions or departments. One possible selection method is to use a forced ranking system, under which employees in the affected areas are ranked by cumulative points based on weighted criteria such as unique skills, past performance, length of service, and versatility. Another method is to compare past performance evaluations. This method has the a ...