Layoffs

In the current economic climate, many workers have lost their jobs -- and many more work in fear of facing a layoff. Employers gererally have the legal leeway to cut costs and jobs as they see fit, but there are some exceptions. For example, an employer may have to provide a certain amount of warning in advance of a layoff. And, employers may not use a layoff to conceal illegal employment practices, such as discrimination  or breach of contract. These rules are explained in the articles in this section.

If you've been laid off, one of your primary concerns is probably how to collect unemployment to replace some of your lost income. Because this topic is so important to so many, we have a separate section devoted entirely to unemployment compensation.