Linda Bond Edwards Talks with The Palm Beach Post about Mental Health Hospital Layoffs
Linda Bond Edwards Talks with The Palm Beach Post about Mental Health Hospital Layoffs
Did Mental Health Hospital Layoffs Violate Federal Law?
In an article published in The Palm Beach Post on October 19, Linda Bond Edwards discusses potential labor laws the Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health in West Palm Beach my have violated when it closed its doors and laid off more than 300 employees.
The Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act, is a federal law meant to protect employees’ rights amid mass layoffs.
“It’s possible the center was waiting for employees to find another job and resign, which wouldn’t count toward overall layoffs,” said Edwards. “It kind of gets the employer off the hook if the employee resigns. It’s dicey, but they might be expecting that.”
The federal government won’t act on the labor law, but employees can sue companies for violating it. Employers are liable for up to 60 days back pay and benefits, civil fines and attorney fees.
