When a manufacturer experienced a slowdown in sales,it laid off the two employees with the poorest attendance.One of the employees sued the company,saying it should have laid off the most recently hired workers.What defense would the company most likely offer?
A) The layoffs were not discriminatory.
B) The company was forced to make the layoffs.
C) There are no federal laws that apply to this situation.
D) The layoffs were instances of employment at will.
E) The age of the company's workforce has been rising.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The company would most likely offer the defense that the layoffs were instances of employment at will. In most states, employment is at-will, meaning that an employer can terminate an employee for any reason, except for reasons that are prohibited by law. In this case, the employer's decision to layoff employees based on attendance would likely fall under the employer's right to terminate employment at-will. Therefore, the company's defense would be that it had the legal right to layoff employees based on its business needs.

When a Manufacturer Experienced a Slowdown in Sales,it Laid Off