Depending upon the circumstances for your furlough and eventual lay off, you may have a factual and legal basis for a lawsuit against your employer if the furlough and lay off result from some form of discrimination based upon race, gender, religious grounds, ethnicity and the like.You failed to state the basis for the furlough and lay off so I really cannot give you any additional opinions with respect to the circumstances that you have written about. With that in mind, I suggest that you consult with a labor attorney further about the question you have written about.