Employment · HR glossary

Layoff

Layoff has different meanings across jurisdictions. In everyday US usage it often means employer-initiated job loss for business reasons; in some other legal contexts it can mean a temporary inability to provide work.

By SmallHRTools · How we write definitions

Example

An employer announcing a layoff must explain whether employment is ending or work is temporarily unavailable and what pay or other arrangements apply.

What to keep in mind

Do not transfer the meaning or entitlements from one country to another. Check the relevant law and contract before assuming a layoff is permanent, unpaid or equivalent to redundancy.

Layoff

Example

What to keep in mind

Further reading