Such a plan is required if a federal contractor expects layoffs for a year to exceed 100. Since the number of predicted layoffs is less than 500, Fluor is not legally obligated to provide 60 days advance notice to a worker marked for layoff - which had been standard during Hanford's previous big layoffs. Consequently, workers with less than two years will get a combination of 30 days notice and severance pay, Beecher and Sansotta said. More senior workers will get their standard severance package, which includes a week of pay for each year worked, plus a minimum of two weeks notice, but Fluor will try to give more notice if possible, they said. The primary reason for the layoffs is Hanford's shrinking budget.
Indirect costs cover overhead, plus equipment and facilities shared by several firms.
The target to complete deactivation is September, which is when some workers are expected to be laid off. That contractor is required to hire its employees from current Hanford workers. Shifting some workers to Johnson Controls Inc., which is revamping and operating privatized steam plants under a long-term contract. Copyright 1997 Tri-City Herald. All rights reserved.