Volume 1, Issue 6
Table of Contents

Cover Story:
Small Business is BIG Business
In Rockland, small businesses are the engine that drives the economy

RBD Round-Up:
How'd He Do That?
The interesting rise of Mal McLaren
RBD Business Survey
How do you communicate?

DEPARTMENTS:

Economic Round-Up
• The Smart Investor
Your portfolio is doing great, so why rebalance?
• Economic Viewpoint
The U.S. Attraction Factor

Business Round-Up
• Down, But Not Dirty
The best way to handle company layoffs is to provide options
• Marketing By Design
The top 15 campaigns of the last 100 years. You know them all, but why?
• Receivables
One of the largest headaches for small businesses

Ask The Experts
• Talking Taxes
• Payroll: Key Issues
• Workplace Hotline

Invest in Your Community
• Where's the Fire?
Rockland Volunteers - increasing efforts and awareness

Odds & Ends
• The Last Minute
• Rockland Newsmakers

Dedicated Section:
Rockland Business Association:

The President’s Desk
New Healthcare Tax
will hurt small and midsized businesses. Here's how.

RBA/United Way Golf Outing
The Rockland Open: Monday, May 21st

RBA Happenings
• Committee and Council Info
• Calendar of Events
• New Members

A layoff is never a happy event — do not expect it to be. But if a company needs to downsize, it can and should be undertaken in a way, which causes the least possible disruption to business and the least amount of anxiety for employees.

While unemployment remains low—in fact, November figures in New York State matched the lowest unemployment rate on record, seasonal factors, the fluctuating economy and other factors often lead to Rockland companies facing the fact that they need to let go of employees. But the list of wrong ways is about as long as the company handbook.

These are some definite no no’s:
• Voicemail or email: Radio Shack has yet to live down the email it sent to 400 employees it laid off in Fort Worth, Texas last year.
• Before a bonus or promotion: Layoffs are bad enough for morale. Survivors don’t need to get nervous when they’re up for raises or job reviews.
• Escorting laid-off employees out the door by security guard: Unless they stole something, it’s just a bad idea.

When local companies need to downsize, some business owners soften the blow by turning to Tomorrow's Workplace, an employment resource center in Spring Valley that serves both employers and those seeking jobs in the tri-state area. The center offers tools and resources needed for employment and career opportunities.

Companies conduct layoffs for a number of reasons, but the most common ones are cost cutting and raising stock value. But before local employers in Rockland County announce a layoff, they usually contact Tomorrow’s Workplace directly or through the New York State Department of Labor.

A team from the center is quickly assembled and is dispatched to a company to assist on-site. The team is made up of members of Tomorrow's Workplace and Department of Labor staff. "We feel a great empathy for employees and employers when layoffs arise," said Roger Williams, the interim executive director at Tomorrow's Workplace. "We're not happy to hear about layoffs even though it’s our mission to provide services to all people who face layoffs."

The team provides another layer of support for displaced employees who may be offered severance pay, vacation pay or extended health benefits, but only if their employer can afford it.
"We advise the employees that are targeted for layoffs as to the type of programs, services and benefits they can access, Employers usually appreciate that because many of them feel bad as well when they have to lay off people, especially during the holidays."

Providing the kind of support and resource teams that Tomorrow's Workplace makes available is not unusual for downsizing companies that want to do the right thing for their employees, according to Martin Lecker, a business professor at Rockland Community College in Suffern.
Some companies, Lecker said, allow such employees to continue to use office space, equipment and resources to help them find other employment. Department of Labor counselors or staffers from Tomorrow's Workplace often come in to give employees practice interviews, and help them update resumes and cover letters.

"The small businesses can emulate the entire concept larger corporations (employ) in terms of providing outplacement services for downsized employees," Lecker said. "You have to have a support system in place."

Lecker suggests employers let employees know the company faces a "situational decision" which requires layoffs. Employers should let workers know the layoffs have nothing to do with work performance.

"You have to have a support system set up by the company," Lecker said. “Knowing that you're not alone in seeking employment is important. Employees need both psychological and career support during this difficult period.”

For more information about Tomorrow's Workplace, visit the center's web site at www.tomorrowsworkplace.org. RBD

Alicia Maxey Greene is a freelance writer.