Layoff questions

[chester1986]

Hi all I am wondering what type of laws that a business has to follow when laying off an employee? Is the company responsible for telling a worker about their cobra rights when they are laid off? Is it legal to be laid off right on the shop floor? Also I am wondering about discrimination laws because I was told that I was laid off because we are so slow right now with the hard economic times that we are facing. I had already been at my job for 9 months and I worked hard and never caused problems. However two or three weeks before I was laid off my former company hired a new full time shipping worker. This new shipping worker that was hired is a member of the manager's church. I do not go to that church. So since I was told that I am being laid off because the company is so slow right now yet they hire a new worker who belongs to their church is that grounds for a discrimination law suit based on religion?

 

[FlaRiptide]

Is the company responsible for telling a worker about their cobra rights when they are laid off?

Employers must notify plan administrators of a qualifying event within 30 days after an employee's death, termination, reduced hours of employment or entitlement to Medicare.
The plan administrator would then be in touch with you.

Is it legal to be laid off right on the shop floor?

Yes

So since I was told that I am being laid off because the company is so slow right now yet they hire a new worker who belongs to their church is that grounds for a discrimination law suit based on religion?

You would need to show that you were directly discriminated against. Just because you were terminated soon after this church goer was hired does not prove discrimination against you. There may be many other business reasons why this other person was hired. Is this new employee's title and job description identical to yours? Even if it is, there is no law preventing the hiring of a friend who just happens to be a church member.