First NLC and the WARN Act

I found a detailed list of the positions eliminated in our Orange offices at the end of March when the company notified California's state employment department for compliance with the WARN Act (it's a long document; you'll have to scroll down about 1/3 of the way - all companies are listed alphabetically). Among the positions cut: 17 account executives and 28 account managers. Interesting that the Northern California positions we eliminated during the same month are not listed. I wonder if that's why I've been hearing talk about a WARN Act lawsuit against us.

I know that the Northern California folks were not given much of a severance package when they closed Concord ops. It was something like 1 week's pay for every year of service. I guess the company was trying to cut corners (again) by separating all of the offices when reporting the layoffs.

You would think that a responsible company would take all of their planned layoffs (at least from the same state) and bundle them together in order to take care of the folks who stuck with them through these recent hard times and help them transition into the next phase of their careers, but First NLC has never been about anybody that doesn't directly service and affect the Powers That Be (our royal family) here in Deerfield.

First NLC: Did You Know?

• That management in one of the West Coast wholesale ops centers routinely tapped into employee phone conversations? In a rare moment of truthfulness a few months ago, a floor manager openly admitted to it. Is that legal in California? I don't think it is in Florida.
• People who were laid off on March 30 had their health benefits expire at midnight that evening, even though there was one day left in the month. Some people weren't even notified on Friday that they had been laid off and unknowingly engaged in weekend activities without health coverage.
• Former employees received incorrect severance payouts that were automatically deposited to their bank accounts. A few days later, the deposits were reversed without notification. HR wasn't going to replace these funds until the following pay period. When forced to make these payments, the correct amounts were sent to the bank accounts - often with a wiring fee deducted. Amazing how quick the company could take its money back, but how reluctant they were to correctly pay it out.
• As of mid-April, several laid-off employees from the first week of March had yet to receive their severance.
• Speaking of layoffs, legal action is being taken against FNLC for violation of the WARN Act.
• Alt-A products were being developed as early as last summer, but Daddy and Junior but the kibosh on it. Think that might have helped us last Fall? We finally launched about a week ago, and as usual, it's too little, too late.
• Our swanky new offices (that we still haven't moved into) are costing a lot of money. When the execs were looking at possible cost-cutting measures a few months ago, the highest-ranking exec would not consider getting out of our lease and instead decided to continue slashing employees from the payroll. Too bad there won't be anybody left to occupy T. Rex by the time it's ready!
• The corporate 401k matching program is arbitrary. Even if you've been there for over a year, it is still at the company's discretion whether they will allocate matching contributions to you. The matching contribution normally takes place once a year (in March, allegedly) in a single lump sum. I know of several employees eligible for this program who were dismissed this past March without their matching contributions. Better yet, when pressed on this matter, HR representatives freely admit that they aren't exactly sure what the policies are. It's a shame to withhold such a pittance from hard-working regular folk, but since it puts more money into the execs' wallets (and really, it's all about the execs, right?), I suppose it's just another case of "doing what is required."