Recalling Employees that Have Been Furloughed During COVID-19! Ensure You Furlough and Recall Employees to Avoid Discrimination Allegations

We all remember the shelter-in-place orders of 2020, and the resulting drop in customers for many businesses as the pandemic took its toll throughout the year. Perhaps we should not have been surprised when the pandemic continued, and the resulting rounds of employee furloughs turned into rounds of employee layoffs. This was especially true in the hospitality sector, which suffered a 41% decrease in jobs between May 2020 and June 2020. But now this sector is slowly but surely starting to bounce back, with over 300,000 jobs added in September 2020. This growth, albeit slow to start, has also triggered some municipalities to mandate the re-hire of previously terminated employees, protection usually afforded only to unionized workers.

Traditionally, employers largely have autonomy over rehire decisions; they can choose whom to recall and the order in which employees are recalled and can decide not to recall certain employees based on legitimate business reasons. But a new spate of “right of recall” laws aim to change that paradigm, putting in place mandates requiring certain employers to rehire laid-off workers when their businesses resume or reopen and dictating the criteria used to recall those workers.

This webinar by industry expert Margie Faulk will identify the most effective way to recall employees and avoid discriminatory claims.

Objectives:-

• How to determine the best way to furlough employees
• What types of communications should be used during a decision to furlough or lay off?
• What regulations need to be addressed during decisions to release employees during COVID-19?
• What new guidelines are in place by the CDC and the EEOC to assist employers how to manage COVID-19 in the workplace?
• Learn what resources Employers can use to manage workplace terminations during COVID-19.

Agenda:-

• What is the difference between furlough and layoff?
• Why Furlough could be an effective way to keep your employees during these turbulent times?
• Case studies of company’s who have made decisions based on premature information and have lost some of their workforces.
• What are the most specific procedures that you must follow when you terminate employees?
• Employers who have decided to lay off employees instead of Furlough to manage the current situation.? What can employees expect to receive from the federal requirements?
• Employers have enhanced their support to the employees.
• How can Employers integrate the new federal regulations for employees with decisions that were made before?
• Are employees still eligible for unemployment benefits?

Highlights:-

• Employers recalling furloughed workers should plan carefully to avoid legal hazards as they determine who will return to work and what to include in recall letters. They should also have a coherent return-to-work plan for returning employees.
• Many Employers have missed the mark unwittingly when they furlough and recall employees. This training will identify those requirements that should be part of policies and procedures during COVID-19 and for other situations. It should be part of managing a cross-functional team.

Who Should Attend?

• HR Professionals
• Small/Large Employers
• Compliance Professionals
• Leadership
• Coordinators
• Office Managers
• Payroll Professionals
• Managers/Supervisors