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Definition of layoff
1 : a period of inactivity or idleness
2 : the act of laying off an employee or a workforce; also : shutdown
People Are Reading
Examples of layoff in a Sentence
The company announced the layoff of several hundred employees.
More layoffs are expected at the factory later this year.
The band finally has a new album after a three year layoff.
a layoff of three years
Recent Examples of layoff from the Web
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A national shortfall of 7.4 million affordable rental units has forced the country’s lowest-income renters to live month to month, always one medical problem or layoff away from losing another home.
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Tillerson’s initial proposals for reorganizing the agency also included the elimination of about 2,300 jobs, though aides have suggested those would come through attrition and retirements and not necessarily through layoffs.
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But the company quickly experienced financial trouble and layoffs as the health-care industry landscape changed.
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And without a budget, road construction workers faced layoffs in the middle of the summer. *
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Most of the layoffs are staffers in the central office, Salgado said.
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This came with inevitable layoffs of staffers and editors alike, adding MTV to the long list of outlets cutting editorial teams in favor of visual content.
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School Board President Rosie Washington said the state Distressed Unit Appeal Board ordered the layoffs for financial reasons.
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And bias against Indians abroad compounds workers’ fears of layoffs and downsizing at home.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'layoff.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of layoff
1889
Financial Definition of LAYOFF
layoff
What It Is
A layoff is a temporary or permanent termination of employment by an employer.
How It Works
Let's say John Doe works for Company XYZ. He has worked there for 15 years. Company XYZ begins having cash flow problems and has to reduce its labor expense in order to avoid going out of business. In turn, it decides to shed 1,000 workers, of which John is one. This mass termination is called a layoff.
A layoff is not the same as being fired. Firings typically occur when an employee is at fault or has disobeyed company policies; terminations are not necessarily a direct reflection of a particular employee's performance (although it takes a village to wreck a company).
Why It Matters
From an investing standpoint, layoffs indicate a struggling company and thus are red flags for their investors. Layoffs can be surprises to people, and they are one of many reasons that investors should have emergency funds on hand at all times.
However, people often get some indication that a layoff is coming. The federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires employers to provide 60 days' notice (sometimes more) of plant closings and mass layoffs. However, this applies to companies with more than 100 employees (and that 100 generally cannot include people who have been with the company for fewer than six months or part-timers).
LAYOFF Defined for English Language Learners
layoff
playDefinition of layoff for English Language Learners
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: the act of ending the employment of a worker or group of workers
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: a period of time during which there is no activity
Learn More about layoff
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See words that rhyme with layoff Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for layoff Spanish Central: Translation of layoff Nglish: Translation of layoff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of layoff for Arabic speakers
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