Employment Law Chronicle for Virginia & the District of Columbia

In addition to provisions expanding unemployment compensation benefits and limiting executive pay, another key employment-law provision of the stimulus bill signed by President Obama this week provides a 65% COBRA premium subsidy for certain laid-off workers for up to 9 months.

The Department of Labor has a useful summary of the COBRA subsidy with links to the provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the stimulus bill). This provision needs to be read and understood by employers and employees alike.

In another sign of the economic times, today's Washington Post has an article about the increase in the number of employers challenging employees' requests for unemployment compensation.

Unfortunately, in today’s economy, plant closures and downsizings have become all too common. Treating employees with fairness and dignity are always necessary and good business practices. Fairness is also key to minimizing the risk of post-layoff employment discrimination lawsuits, which can end up costing the business more than was saved from the layoff.

Because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, here are some tips for employers to consider before restructuring the company's workforce:

Continue reading " Layoffs & Reductions-in-Force: Avoiding the Legal Pitfalls & Perils " »