Fermilab at Work - Fermilab Layoffs

Layoff Question?
Many employees will have questions about their individual situations in the event they receive layoff notices. At this stage, Fermilab's Human Resources staff lacks the resources to deal with hypothetical individual cases. (Employees who do receive layoff notices will have individual meetings with human resources and benefits specialists to discuss their specific situations.)
Click here to submit a layoff question

Layoffs at Fermilab will soon begin. The exact date depends on final DOE approval of the restructuring plan and the requirement for Congressional notification. As soon as DOE provides the date, Fermilab Today will announce it.

It is not easy to say goodbye to colleagues and friends of many years. Fermilab managers will carry out the layoffs with respect for employees and recognition of the personal impact of being laid off.

Employees who are to be laid off but who are not at work on their notification days will be notified as soon as possible.

On the day of notification, a member of the employee's Division, Section or Center will ask each individual employee to be laid off to come to a private location. The manager and an HR representative will meet privately with each employee and tell him or her of the layoff decision. Employees will turn in their keys, access cards, TLD cards (radiation cards) and badges to their D/S/C management. Immediately following notification, each person will have a meeting with a benefits representative who will provide individualized information on the status of all benefits and other important information. (Laid-off employees will have the opportunity starting the following week to sign up for a more in-depth consultation with a benefits representative.) Next, employees will meet with a Lee Hecht Harrison outplacement counselor to obtain information about the career transition process.

Employees may choose to be escorted back to their work areas to gather personal belongings before they leave the laboratory, or they may choose to leave immediately. Some employees will require exit medical testing because they are in medical surveillance programs. They will be asked to report to the Medical Office before they leave the laboratory.

Except for those who need to return at a later time to collect personal belongings, employees will not return to their work areas. Some Divisions/Sections/Centers will designate a specific Saturday for this purpose. Other Divisions/Sections/Centers will ask laid-off employees to make an appointment to come in to collect belongings. Employees will receive information about this at the notification meeting.

Computer access will be turned off while employees are receiving layoff notification. Employees may request read-only e-mail for up to two months or have e-mail forwarded to a private e-mail account. Employees may also request copies of files from their computers subject to supervisor approval. Forms to request e-mail or file access will be available during the benefits meeting.

During the three days of notification a counselor from the Employee Assistance Program will be available onsite during business hours and 24/7 by phone or Internet.

Employees will be on paid administrative leave for two weeks following notification. The official termination date will be 14 calendar days following notification. Employees will need to sign up for an exit meeting held at the outplacement facility on or close to the termination date.

Employees will have many services available, including career transition services that will continue for up to six months at the Lee Hecht Harrison facility. Detailed answers to layoff questions are available on the Fermilab layoff information Web pages http://www.fnal.gov/faw/layoffs/, and answers to additional questions will be posted as quickly as possible.