4 ms·

> involuntary layoffs > involuntary reduction As opposed to what? "Boss, 231 of us decided to voluntarily be let go, effective immediately. Yeah, we know, i

> involuntary layoffs > involuntary reduction As opposed to what? "Boss, 231 of us decided to voluntarily be let go, effective immediately. Yeah, we know, it's a bummer. We also decided to take three months severance pay at half salary. Hey, thanks for everything. Have a nice day!" I sometimes wonder about what might lie behind the twisted language often used by reporters.

e40 9y ago
Voluntary reductions are through offers made to older employees for early retirement. It's a very common way of reducing staff, but it's usually done over a number of years (to reach the target).
gozur88 9y ago
As opposed to voluntary separations. Many years ago the company I work for offered packages to qualified employees who wanted to leave. People who were already looking or just weren't very happy had the opportunity to pocket (IIRC) six months worth of pay after signing the standard promise not to sue. Usually the way these things work is company management has a reduction goal, and if they meet it there aren't any layoffs. If they don't... well, voluntary becomes involuntary in some cases.
abduhl 9y ago
Companies sometimes offer people good deals to leave due to slowing business. If you opted into this you would have been voluntarily laid off. If enough people do it, then there are no involuntary layoffs. Japan Airlines did something similar with early retirement a few years back and offered their employees the chance to retire early in order to cut costs.
thaumasiotes 9y ago
People might voluntarily take a buyout package.
RandomOpinion 9y ago
Never seen one myself but it's entirely possible for a business to solicit volunteers to be laid off [1] or take early retirement [2]. [1] e.g. http://www.nyguild.org/time-inc-news-details/items/spots-illustrated-announces-layoffs.html http://www.nyguild.org/time-inc-news-details/items/spots-ill... [2] e.g. http://www.wcpo.com/money/local-business-news/kroger-offers-early-retirement-to-2000-corporate-employees http://www.wcpo.com/money/local-business-news/kroger-offers-...
- cobookman 9y ago
  +1 I had many co-workers at yahoo do a voluntary layoff. It's a great gig btw. If you were already planning on leaving instead of quitting you get a few months severance
- drdeadringer 9y ago
  I've seen at least one at Lockheed (Sunnyvale) between 2009 and 2013. People close or at retirement age and still working were encouraged with packages. Then came the rounds on involuntary.
- mlindner 9y ago
  Yes, the notable one I know of ULA (United Launch Alliance) doing a bunch of volunteered lay offs where they went around asking their old timers to see if they would be willing to go into retirement.
- irishcoffee 9y ago
  I had a friend who worked at a company asking for people to be voluntarily laid off. They paid for grad school, and this got said person out of owing them years of service in repayment. Saved someone else from being laid off, and said person was able to find a job they liked much better.
  - nojvek 9y ago
    I think that is reasonable. "Folks our company didn't do well this year, we can only sustain X at out burn rate. We are willing to extend Y offer until Z date for those of who are willing to volunteer for a lay off" Much better than firing by force.
boeing_employee 9y ago
They are extending offers for "Voluntary Layoffs" to a large portion of the engineering workforce. The offer is 1 week of pay per year of service. Many people have taken it, either to pursue new work or to retire early. These offers have been extended to varying areas of the company over the last year or so as they try and get to their headcount targets.
Spooky23 9y ago
My aunt volunteered to be laid off from her airline. She also traded her pension for a small buyout and lifetime standby airfare for her family. Smart move. The pension was basically killed when the company was bought out and she retains the free flights to this day. One time I flew with her and my cousin to Texas for dinner during a summer vacation. I think my ticket was $50.
bluedino 9y ago
Isn't that 1.5 months pay?
- tomsthumb 9y ago
  yes. maybe it's better at half speed after considering the companies cash flow situation?
rebootthesystem 9y ago
I think "layoff" means "involuntary layoff". No need to dramatize by adding "involuntary". I think that was my point. The word only adds drama. Everyone knows what a layoff is. What many have described as voluntary layoffs I would probably call "voluntary resignation with incentives". The company is asking you: Are you willing to quit your job and pretend we let you go? It is wrapped around a layoff to be nice to the employee because this activates unemployment benefits, etc What happens if nobody, not one person, volunteers? They layoff as many people as they need to, involuntarily, of course, as the term implies. I had a case some thirty years ago when I worked at a shitty unionized company where I was asked (muscled by the union really) to choose between resigning or being laid off. The options had some convoluted combinations of benefits and legal implications (union stuff) that were hard for my younger self to decipher. I ended-up opting to resign, on paper. It was then executed as a layoff.

e40 9y ago

Voluntary reductions are through offers made to older employees for early retirement. It's a very common way of reducing staff, but it's usually done over a number of years (to reach the target).

gozur88 9y ago

As opposed to voluntary separations. Many years ago the company I work for offered packages to qualified employees who wanted to leave. People who were already looking or just weren't very happy had the opportunity to pocket (IIRC) six months worth of pay after signing the standard promise not to sue. Usually the way these things work is company management has a reduction goal, and if they meet it there aren't any layoffs. If they don't... well, voluntary becomes involuntary in some cases.

abduhl 9y ago

Companies sometimes offer people good deals to leave due to slowing business. If you opted into this you would have been voluntarily laid off. If enough people do it, then there are no involuntary layoffs. Japan Airlines did something similar with early retirement a few years back and offered their employees the chance to retire early in order to cut costs.

thaumasiotes 9y ago

People might voluntarily take a buyout package.

RandomOpinion 9y ago

Never seen one myself but it's entirely possible for a business to solicit volunteers to be laid off [1] or take early retirement [2]. [1] e.g. http://www.nyguild.org/time-inc-news-details/items/spots-illustrated-announces-layoffs.html http://www.nyguild.org/time-inc-news-details/items/spots-ill... [2] e.g. http://www.wcpo.com/money/local-business-news/kroger-offers-early-retirement-to-2000-corporate-employees http://www.wcpo.com/money/local-business-news/kroger-offers-...

cobookman 9y ago
+1 I had many co-workers at yahoo do a voluntary layoff. It's a great gig btw. If you were already planning on leaving instead of quitting you get a few months severance
drdeadringer 9y ago
I've seen at least one at Lockheed (Sunnyvale) between 2009 and 2013. People close or at retirement age and still working were encouraged with packages. Then came the rounds on involuntary.
mlindner 9y ago
Yes, the notable one I know of ULA (United Launch Alliance) doing a bunch of volunteered lay offs where they went around asking their old timers to see if they would be willing to go into retirement.
irishcoffee 9y ago
I had a friend who worked at a company asking for people to be voluntarily laid off. They paid for grad school, and this got said person out of owing them years of service in repayment. Saved someone else from being laid off, and said person was able to find a job they liked much better.
- nojvek 9y ago
  I think that is reasonable. "Folks our company didn't do well this year, we can only sustain X at out burn rate. We are willing to extend Y offer until Z date for those of who are willing to volunteer for a lay off" Much better than firing by force.

boeing_employee 9y ago

They are extending offers for "Voluntary Layoffs" to a large portion of the engineering workforce. The offer is 1 week of pay per year of service. Many people have taken it, either to pursue new work or to retire early. These offers have been extended to varying areas of the company over the last year or so as they try and get to their headcount targets.

Spooky23 9y ago

My aunt volunteered to be laid off from her airline. She also traded her pension for a small buyout and lifetime standby airfare for her family. Smart move. The pension was basically killed when the company was bought out and she retains the free flights to this day. One time I flew with her and my cousin to Texas for dinner during a summer vacation. I think my ticket was $50.

bluedino 9y ago

Isn't that 1.5 months pay?

tomsthumb 9y ago
yes. maybe it's better at half speed after considering the companies cash flow situation?

rebootthesystem 9y ago

I think "layoff" means "involuntary layoff". No need to dramatize by adding "involuntary". I think that was my point. The word only adds drama. Everyone knows what a layoff is. What many have described as voluntary layoffs I would probably call "voluntary resignation with incentives". The company is asking you: Are you willing to quit your job and pretend we let you go? It is wrapped around a layoff to be nice to the employee because this activates unemployment benefits, etc What happens if nobody, not one person, volunteers? They layoff as many people as they need to, involuntarily, of course, as the term implies. I had a case some thirty years ago when I worked at a shitty unionized company where I was asked (muscled by the union really) to choose between resigning or being laid off. The options had some convoluted combinations of benefits and legal implications (union stuff) that were hard for my younger self to decipher. I ended-up opting to resign, on paper. It was then executed as a layoff.