Who Usually Gets Laid Off First and When? Newer employees are at risk of getting laid off in the early round of downsizing, as the "last in, first out" saying goes. In some cases, recruiters and higher earners are let go as well.
Men are more likely than women to have been laid off or terminated. 45% of men have lost their jobs as compared to 36% of women. Men are more likely than women to have lost a job multiple times.
The following are situations that may arise during the course of a layoff. Normally, layoffs are in seniority order regardless of time base; that is, the least senior employees, regardless of whether they are part time, intermittent, or full time, are laid off first.
That need for transparency about layoff decisions is part of the reason many employers have historically decided to let go more recent hires first, according to Sandra Sucher, a professor at Harvard Business School who studies layoffs.
Merit-Based Selection
This is one of the most popular methodologies for how companies decide who to lay off. And for good reason. It helps managers weed out poorly performing employees so that the organization doesn't lose any valuable company assets that they might lay off using other methods.
However, patterns emerging during layoffs earlier this year show that non-essential departments, meaning those that don't contribute to the core functionality of the business, are the ones that often see cuts first.
Unfortunately, even high-performing employees may be terminated during cost-cutting measures. The focus shifts from individual performance to reducing payroll, and talented employees are often casualties of budgetary constraints.
Employers may pay new hires more than current employees because they want to attract top talent, have access to a smaller pool of candidates, or want to reduce turnover in the absence of effective onboarding.
January is historically the busiest month for job cuts.
Typically, the first to go would be the worst performers. If the work is being outsourced or eliminated, then the people doing those jobs are generally the ones to be laid off.
Professional and business services has the highest average layoffs per year, and mining and logging has the lowest.
Employees in the construction, transportation and information services industries remain at the greatest risk of future layoffs. The tech industry is leading the way when it comes to layoffs, though firings are economy-wide.
BLR advises organizations to “base layoffs on legitimate and objective business needs, not totally or primarily on performance evaluations.” Using skills-based evaluations as your layoff selection criteria can help your organization retain those employees whose skills will be most valuable after the restructuring.
Three main methods of selecting employees for layoff are "last in, first out," in which the most recently hired employees are the first to be let go; reliance on performance reviews; and forced rankings, said Kelly Scott, an attorney with Ervin Cohen & Jessup in Los Angeles.
Layoffs are often on Friday or Monday.
Certain employers must give employees at least 60 days notice before a mass layoff, relocation, or plant closures.. Support is available to help both workers and employers during layoffs or plant closures. Contact your local America's Job Center of CaliforniaSM (AJCC) for more information.
Once a layoff is determined necessary, the appointing power must notify the DPA and submit a list of employees in the class or classes of layoff. DPA then computes the layoff list based upon the seniority scores of each employee.
If you're a new hire, you're more likely to be laid off—a Harvard expert's No. 1 way to rebound. An employee carries office materials after being let go. Amid the slew of recent layoff headlines, a question lingers: when a company cuts jobs, who is first on the chopping block?
Typically, employees who resign and end on good terms with an employer have a greater chance of receiving a positive reference from that former employer. On the other hand, when an individual has been terminated, their former employer might provide less than satisfactory remarks due to the circumstances.
California is an at-will state, meaning employers can terminate your employment for almost any reason. The trade-off is that employees can also quit their jobs without needing to provide notice to employers. Once you receive your final paycheck, the relationship between you and the employer is officially over.
Laws and Regulations on this Topic
- Protects workers, their families and communities by requiring most employers with 100 or more employees to provide notification 60 calendar days in advance of plant closings and mass layoffs. 20 CFR 639 - WARN regulations administered by DOL's Employment and Training Administration.
Manager: I've called this meeting because I must unfortunately inform you that your position with the company is being eliminated. We do not have another position for you. This means you are being laid off and Human Resources will work with you to complete your transition. Here is your official Notice of Layoff.