Section One
There are a few other short-term alternatives to layoffs,
some of which involve pay cuts. Cuts may be accompanied in
some instances by fewer days worked or with commitments
from management that it will make it up to employees when
conditions improve. Unpaid leaves of absence are also
alternatives. Those taking leaves are guaranteed the job at the
end of the leave.^81
Actions or tactics useful for avoiding layoffs in the long
term are presented in Table 1-3. One of the initial tactics is to
conduct human resource planning with employment stability as
a goal. As with the short-term tactics, several are related to the
inflow of personnel into the organization. A lean staffing
approach, staffing for the long term, and focusing on
nonspecialists where possible will help to establish appropriate
inflows. Greater flexibility in job assignment may be gained by
providing employment guarantees in return for reductions in
numbers of job classifications.^82 Another set of actions or tactics
is related to maintenance of a productive workforce through
training or retraining, judicious termination of unproductive
employees, and using human resource buffers to supplement
understaffing.