With many employers cutting workers because of economic slowdowns and shutdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic, is it a good idea to volunteer for a layoff?

U of G Prof. Nita Chhinzer from the Department of Management in U of G’s Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics addressed this question in a new commentary for Toronto Star Business.

“Ultimately, there is no broad answer to all employees contemplating a voluntary layoff, if or when the option is presented,” she wrote. But she advised considering three important factors when making a decision about whether it’s a good idea to leave:

• compensation and severance pay
• career plans
• personal factors

Chhinzer is a professor of human resources who studies downsizing practices and aspects of employment ethics. She recentlyu