Note: this question is for somebody specialized in Human Resources
A position has been made redundant in the company, and it has been
taken off from the organization chart, and will not be replaced. In
order to reflect this in the job certificate of a very good
collaborator who has served in the position for almost two years,
please indicate a good way to say "due to general restructuring and
streamlining measures, we were obliged to take off the position ......
from our organization chart..." etc. Please note that WHAT WE ARE
LOOKING FOR IS A GOOD WAY TO SAY THAT, IN ORDER NOT TO AFFECT THE
EMPLOYEE'S FUTURE JOB SEARCH. He has been an excellent collaborator,
but due to difficult times for the company, need to reduce the
structure, and fire some employees of great value, in order to
survive.
Regards,
Tom

---

Clarification of Question by tom136-ga on 05 May 2003 06:42 PDT

Forget the condition at the beginning of the question ("this question
is for somebody specialized in Human Resources"). Although that would
be certainly a plus, as I need the reply a.s.a.p., I think that anyone
with good literary skills would do it.
Thank you,
Tom

Hello tom136-ga,

It’s tough to have to lay off good employees and it sounds like you’re
a caring employer who wants to facilitate the affected employee’s
continuing success. I’ve collected some sample letters to help you
with your objective of writing a reference letter that makes clear
that the layoff is due to reorganization and the employee was
performing well.

I’ve also included some links for you on how to conduct a layoff. This
is a very complex area of employment law and it is essential that you
follow appropriate procedures that meet federal, state and local
requirements to avoid future law suits. No matter how carefully you
conduct your layoff and how much consideration you give the laid off
employees, you must protect the company against possible future legal
action.

I hope that these resources meet your requirements. Please ask for
clarification if this information does not completely satisfy your
needs. Wishing you success with this difficult task.

czh

===============================================
SAMPLE TERMINATION / LAYOFF / REFERENCE LETTERS
===============================================

http://jobsearchtech.about.com/library/weekly/aa021400-netscp.htm
Download Sample Letters of Recommendation
Sample 1 - Template
Anatomy of a letter of recommendation in template form. It's not set
in concrete, but rather just a guide.
Sample 2
Letter of recommendation for an above average to superior employee.
Sample 3
Letter of recommendation that explains the layoff of an above average
to superior employee.
Sample 4
Letter of recommendation for an average to slightly above average
employee.

http://www.workforcecentralflorida.com/employers/prelayoff.asp
Our ONE-STOP CAREER CENTERS can send a team to help you plan your
layoff. In fact, we can group counsel employees who will be affected
by the layoff to provide them critical information on filing for
unemployment and using the services of our centers to help find their
next job. This services is at no cost to either employers or your
employees.
***** See complete guide to planning for a layoff.
APPENDIX A - SAMPLE: Letter to Affected Employees
APPENDIX C - SAMPLE: Generic Reference Letter

http://www.unk.edu/offices/human_resources/pictures/RIF%20meeting%20information.pdf
A Supervisor’s Guide to Surviving a Reduction in Force
***** This is an 11-page paper covering all aspects of conducting a
RIF. See Appendix B – Sample Generic Reference Letter

============================================
HOW TO HANDLE A LAYOFF OR REDUCTION-IN-FORCE
============================================

http://www.amanet.org/books/catalog/0814471102_ch.htm
The Hiring and Firing Question and Answer Book -- Chapter 9:
Reductions-in-Force (RIFs) and Layoffs
***** This is a lengthy chapter in Q & A format that should help you
through conducting a layoff and protecting the company while giving
due consideration to the employees.

http://littler.com/publications/ch12.pdf
Reductions In-Force: Issues & Strategies for the Downsizing Employer
***** This is a 32 page paper that clearly lays out the issues that
should be considered for protecting the employer from legal
challenges.

http://www.fredlaw.com/articles/employment/empl_0103_amr.html
Reducing The Workforce: A Primer On Avoiding Legal Snags

http://www.tht.com/pubs/SearchMatchPub.asp?ArticleID=478
Reductions-In-Force: An Overview of Implementation Steps

http://www.faegre.com/articles/article_546.asp
Managing the Risks of Reductions in Force

http://www.elinfonet.com/fedarticles/12/32
Employment Law Information Network 
HUMAN RESOURCES > REDUCTION IN FORCE (RIF) (Entries: 23)
**** See search results for “reduction in force”

http://www.business.com/directory/human_resources/workforce_management/termination/
Home > Human Resources > Workforce Management > Termination
***** You can access a large collection of links relating to all
facets of employee terminations.

http://www2.hrnext.com/Index.cfm
HRnext's goal is to provide you with the HR advice and answers you
need do your Human resources related tasks easier and faster.
**** Some resources available free but most are only accessible with a
membership.
http://www2.hrnext.com/Article_List.cfm/Nav/2.8.0.0.0.0?CFID=2355673&CFTOKEN=14532517
HRnext has hundreds of free sample / example Letters for Human
Resources, available for download and customization.

===============
SEARCH STRATEGY
===============

layoff sample reference letter
position eliminated employment law
employment law reduction in force
sample letter "reduction in force"

Thank you! This is very useful to me.
Tom

Tom, 

I'm no copy writer, but how about: "Circumstances beyond the company’s
control forced us to terminate the position of <job title> within our
organization, despite the sterling work done by <name> in that role."

Dear tehuti,
Glad to hear from you!!! I really appreciate your comment. 
Thank you very much, indeed.
: )
Tom