Nobody likes to be shown the door by the boss. Sometimes it's unfair. Occasionally it's illegal.
Layoffs go along with lean times.
That's up 60 percent from February, and up 192 percent since March 2000. This is why employment lawyers are well employed. The first thing such workplace-law specialists look for is an employment contract, mostly held by executives or union workers. People can be laid off for poor performance, she says, even when they think they are doing well. Just because the supervisor did not fire a warning shot before firing someone does not mean an employee can sue, Ms. Ragsdale adds.