A city considering a reduction-in-force wants department heads to bring names to a closed session next week. No selection criteria, impact analysis, or waiver-and-notice strategy has been designed. What should HR require first?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
Picking RIF names in a closed session is like drawing straws and then asking the lawyer to make it look like a plan. Federal law constrains how you design the reduction, not just the letters you mail later. Build the criteria and impact analysis before any list exists.
Full Explanation
ADEA, Title VII, and, where they apply, OWBPA waiver rules and WARN-analog notice requirements shape reduction strategy at design time. A name-first closed session invites subjective selection, age and protected-class clustering, and weak documentation. HR should establish business justification, objective criteria, and adverse-impact review before any individual is identified. Strategy-level legal evaluation is not a paperwork afterthought.