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
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.
1889
you need to lay off eating those jelly doughnuts, or you'll end up looking like one
1748
break, break off, break up, can [slang], cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, end, give over, halt, knock off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, stop;
block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem;
arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch (or staunch), stunt, suppress, turn back;
have done with, put the kibosh on;
A layoff is a temporary or permanent termination of employment by an employer.
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).
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).
: the act of ending the employment of a worker or group of workers
: a period of time during which there is no activity
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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