Fired, Downsized, or Laid Off: What Your Employer Doesn't Want You to Know About How to Fight Back
The profession of law apparently has become so specialized that Sklover is able to bill himself as a "severance attorney," claiming primary ranking in the category. Regardless, earlier this year employment and labor attorney Steven Sack covered much of the same territory in a similarly titled book (Getting Fired: What to Do if You're Fired, Downsized, Laid Off, Restructured . . .).Sack also considered various forms of discrimination and the rights of employees, but Sklover focuses almost exclusively on negotiating the best severance package; therefore, libraries collecting in this subject area will find both titles worthwhile. Sklover describes how the negotiation process works, identifies emotional pitfalls, and tells how to work with an attorney. He explains what actually can be asked for and how to ask for it; he counters with requests the employer will make and suggests ways to respond. He advises what to do if negotiations fail and addresses "postnegotiation concerns" such as taxability of severance benefits, eligibility for unemployment insurance, and breach of agreement. Appendixes include sample forms and letters.David Rouse