Excerpt: There are several, critical employment law issues that must be taken into account in any organization's plan to address the new economic realities especially if reductions in force are a part of the organization's strategy.... Employers that are considering reductions in force and providing severance payments to laid-off employees may wish to consider establishing a severance plan governed by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).... As the economic noose tightens, employers are bound to consider cutbacks in benefits and impose greater cost sharing with employees. In the health plan arena, employers have, for years, been passing along a greater share of the costs to employees.  MORE >>