Layoff & Reduction
Planning & Implementation Introduction
Laying off staff is one of the most difficult tasks you may face as a manager. In addition, it can be complicated and the layoff process takes time to administer. Your decisions and how you communicate them affect employees being laid off, their family members, and other staff in the unit.
While each employment program has its own definition of what constitutes a layoff, in general terms a layoff is the elimination of a position due to lack of work, lack of funds, or reorganization. For classified non-union and contract classified staff only, reducing an employee's percent time or the number of months worked each year is also considered a layoff.
This resource is designed to guide you through the process of planning and implementing staff reductions in a thoughtful, compassionate manner, while ensuring that your department can continue to carry out its mission. Your success in achieving this outcome relies on:
- Understanding layoff notification requirements
- There are requirements for notifying Human Resources about the need to layoff or reduce staff, and for notifying individual employees about the elimination and/or reduction of their position.
- Pre-planning with your Human Resources Consultant
- Your unit's Human Resources Consultant will make sure that:
- you have the information and support do develop and implement an effective staff reduction plan, including an assessment of organizational impacts.
- you have a communication plan that will provide staff with information that is timely, geared to their needs, and sensitive to the dynamics of the workplace.
- employees have the information they need about the options and resources available to them.
- the layoff process is properly administered.
The factors that shape a staff reduction plan.
- Why are you considering a staff reduction?
- Is it due to external forces beyond your direct control like mandatory budget reductions or grant non-renewal? Is it because a project has been completed or you have decided to change what or how work is done?
- Are there alternatives to staff reductions?
- Can work be done more efficiently or can non-staff expenses be reduced to mitigate the need for layoff?
Have you factored current or expected vacancies into your planning? Have any employees expressed an interest in reducing their work schedules?
Can subscriptions to, or publication of hard copy documents be restricted or eliminated? Does everyone who has a University-owned or subsidized cell or smart phone really need the device for their job?
- How will you preserve the functions necessary to fulfill your core mission?
- Have you identified the functions necessary for you to fulfill your department's core mission and the work that will be necessary to support it?
- Will reductions affect the delivery of services to clients?
- How much advance notice will you need to provide to clients as a result of service changes that may take place?
- What is the expected scope and impact of the reduction?
- How many and what positions will be directly affected? How many employees will remain after the reductions have taken place? Will it be necessary to reorganize reporting relationships?
- Employee appointment types
- Are the affected employees temporary, classified non-union, contract classified, and/or professional staff?
