Getting Laid Off Interview Preparation Guide

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Getting laid off is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or a group of employees for business reasons, such as when certain positions are no longer necessary or when a business slow-down occurs.
Laid off workers or displaced workers refers to workers who have lost or left their jobs because their employer has closed or moved, there was insufficient work for them to do or their position or shift was abolished.

These are the impacts that result:
☛ Separation from service with your employer.
☛ Employment in a class with a lower salary range maximum.
☛ Reduction in your work year.
☛ Reduction in the number of hours you work.

Examples of getting laid off actions due to lack of work may include, but are not limited to:
☛ Termination of a project or special employment.
☛ Availability of fewer positions than there are employees entitled to such positions.
☛ Employee's ineligibility to continue in a position following its reallocation to a class with a higher salary range maximum.
☛ Employee's ineligibility to continue or choice not to continue, in a position following its reallocation to a class with a lower salary range maximum.

You must be notified in writing of the following:
☛ The reason or basis of the layoff.
☛ Any layoff options your employer identified for you.
☛ Whether a transition review period is required.
☛ The date by when you must select any layoff options.
☛ The layoff lists for which you are eligible to apply.
☛ Your right to appeal the layoff.

It is a reduction in your employer's workforce. The most common reasons for a layoff are:
☛ Lack of funds
☛ Lack of work
☛ Organizational change

When the employer identifies your layoff option, consideration is given first to classes at the salary range from which you are being laid off in which you have been permanent.
If no option is found, the employer then looks for an option to a class at a lower salary range in which you have held permanent status or an option to lower class in a class series/occupational category in which you have held permanent status. The employer must always consider the classes in descending salary order.

There are two types of layoff lists.
☛ The internal layoff lists
☛ Statewide layoff lists
The internal and statewide layoff lists are both maintained by class. Both lists are composed of laid off employees.

Your eligibility period for the internal layoff list is two years from the effective date of your layoff. Check with the employer who is laying you off to find out if the department or the employer maintains internal layoff lists for the classifications for which you qualify.
To apply to these lists you must send a copy of your layoff letter, your completed layoff list employment preferences form and your resume to the layoff list administrator.

Your layoff notice should indicate who you should contact to get your name on the statewide Layoff List. Department maintains the statewide layoff list for government and each higher education institution maintains their own layoff list.
You can get onto the statewide layoff list for any job class in which you have held permanent status, even if you are also on an employer's internal layoff list for the same class.

The statewide layoff list is used by other employers. Since other employers may also employ people with competencies, skills and abilities that you possess, you can improve your opportunities to be rehired after layoff by getting on the statewide layoff list for classes for which you qualify.