Unfortunately, lay-offs in Texas continue to occur at an alarming rate. Keith Clouse, a Texas employment law attorney, suggests that an employee facing a lay-off consult with an attorney who practices employment law. An employment law attorney can help an individual sort through issues such as:

• Discrimination claims: While most employers reserve the right to terminate an employee’s employment at any time, an employer cannot terminate an employee’s employment based on illegal reasons (such as the employee’s age, race, gender, or religious affiliation).
• Unemployment compensation: In most cases, an individual who has been laid off should be entitled to unemployment benefits, but the individual must pursue these benefits in order to receive them.
• Pension and/or other retirement benefits: A lay-off may affect an employee’s pension and/or other retirement benefits; a review of applicable policies is necessary.
• Severance pay: Because employers typically require employees to release any future claims in exchange for severance pay, an employee must ensure that the employee is fairly compensated for releasing any claim.

An experienced employment lawyer will be able to guide an employee through a lay-off and may be able to negotiate a better deal for an employee than the employer originally offered.  If you would like to discuss a potential lay-off or another employment law issue with an employment lawyer, please contact the employment lawyers at Clouse Dunn LLP at info@cdklawyers.com.