The worst possible thing has happened: you’ve received a layoff notice at your workplace! What do you do now? What is the first step? Who do you call? How do you handle this problem?

In these uncertain economic times many employees are expressing concern about the possibility of layoff.

Let’s start off by nipping all rumors in the bud: We have no reason to believe that there is about to be an increase in the number of layoff notices sent to CTs at MSU.

However, we believe that every CT should be prepared to respond to such an unsettling event. Do you know what to do? And what not to do? There are a couple of things you can do to protect yourself if your job is eliminated, one at the time you receive the notice and one in advance.

A layoff is a serious and often complicated matter. You should not face it without your Union.

An error may have occurred. For example, even if your job is being eliminated from the department, you may be the wrong person to receive the layoff. If this is the case, we need to investigate immediately so that the right person has the maximum time to react. S/he won’t have that if you delay your call. And once we ascertain to whom the notice should go, we need to make sure that the CT’s rights are protected and that the process is handled appropriately.

How do we know who the correct person is to receive the layoff? We look at the contract.

The contract clearly states (page 47, 18.II.A.1): the first person to be laid off in a unit is "the employee within the department with the least University seniority in the grade level where the layoff is to occur." That means that the person whose job is about to be eliminated may not be the person to be laid off! (And, as noted in the second sentence of the general provisions of Article 18, a layoff "shall never take place for punitive purposes.")

Even if you are the correct person to receive the layoff notice in your department, that does not mean you are laid off from the University.

The CTU recently met in a special conference with members of the Human Resources and Employment staffs about our layoff procedures. We had several points of disagreement, including the definition of a training period.

Management believes that a CT can be required to prove that he or she can perform the duties of a given position before being placed in it, that the "training period" addressed by our contract exists merely to determine if a person’s established skills will adequately fit the department’s needs.

Can each of us do all the jobs at our current grade levels with only six weeks’ training? Not necessarily. But we can do many of them, and it’s probable that six week’s exposure will provide enough experience for most of us to handle the basics of most jobs at our current level.

Yes, we have serious interpretational disagreements with management about Article 18, one which we expect to address in the future. Fortunately, the Union doesn’t see many layoff situations (and we’re not hoping for one to come along and provide a good test case).

At this point, our best advice is for CTs to defend themselves against layoff in much the same way they prepare for professional development.

How does management know if you are capable of doing a job that you haven’t held? They look at your resume. Is yours up to date? Does it show all the skills you have and all the classes you’ve taken? Does it indicate all the software packages you know and all the places you’ve worked? If not, get it updated ASAP.

It is common knowledge that the "required" items in a job posting get you on the interview list, but the "desired" items get you the job. It’s the same way with layoffs: if you have a wide range of skills and experiences listed on your resume, you have more flexibility in finding a job should you be laid off, and you have more ability to succeed in the new job.

Don’t wait for your department to send you to classes; take them yourself. If you’re legitimately turned down for released time, find a course at night or on weekends. Contact your Union if you are inappropriately denied educational assistance. Add to your skills. Doing so could greatly help your work life.