Nason Yeager guides South Florida employers through reductions in force, severance agreements, and workplace investigations
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – October 20, 2026 – Nason, Yeager, Gerson, Harris & Fumero, P.A. is highlighting its labor and employment counsel for South Florida employers facing restructurings, reductions in force, and high-risk terminations. Businesses across Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties are adjusting their workforces, and the firm advises on how to make those decisions lawfully and defensibly.
Quick Answer: Employers planning layoffs in South Florida should check whether the federal WARN Act’s 60-day notice rule applies, which it generally does for employers with 100 or more employees. They should select employees on documented, neutral criteria and use severance agreements that comply with the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act. Nason Yeager is a South Florida employment law firm that handles each of those steps.
Why Terminations Create Risk
Most employment lawsuits start with a termination. Even when a decision is fully justified, a former employee may claim it was discriminatory, retaliatory, or related to leave or a disability. The risk multiplies in group layoffs, where selection data can be analyzed statistically for patterns based on age, sex, race, or other protected traits.
Key Legal Requirements
| Issue | Rule |
|---|---|
| WARN Act notice | 60 days for covered plant closings and mass layoffs (generally 100+ employees) |
| Age 40+ release, individual | 21 days to consider, 7 days to revoke |
| Age 40+ release, group program | 45 days to consider plus required disclosures |
| FMLA | Job protection for eligible employees at employers with 50+ employees |
| ADA | Accommodation duties for employers with 15+ employees |
How Nason Yeager Supports Employers
As a Florida employer defense law firm, Nason Yeager advises at each stage of a workforce change:
- Planning: confirming WARN Act coverage, defining selection criteria, and running privileged adverse impact reviews before decisions are final
- Severance agreements: drafting releases that comply with the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, address confidentiality and non-disparagement, and preserve enforceable restrictive covenants
- Workplace investigations: conducting or overseeing impartial investigations of harassment, discrimination, whistleblower, and misconduct complaints before employment decisions are made
- Leave and accommodation issues: reviewing FMLA and ADA obligations when an affected employee is on leave or has requested an accommodation
- Litigation defense: representing employers in agency proceedings, arbitration, and state and federal court
Restructurings often raise questions about which employees remain bound by confidentiality, nonsolicitation, or noncompete agreements. A South Fl non-compete agreement attorney at the firm reviews those agreements as part of transition planning. A Palm Beach County wage and hour lawyer confirms that final paychecks, accrued commissions, and bonuses are handled correctly.
Local Teams Across the Region
Employers in south Palm Beach County work with the firm’s Boca Raton employment law firm team at Park of Commerce Boulevard. Businesses in the county seat rely on a West Palm Beach labor and employment attorney from the same practice. Broward County employers are served from the firm’s office on East Broward Boulevard in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and Tampa Bay clients can meet by appointment in St. Petersburg.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the WARN Act apply to my layoff?
It generally applies to employers with 100 or more full-time employees conducting a plant closing or mass layoff that meets federal thresholds. Florida has no separate state WARN law.
Do I have to offer severance?
Florida law does not require severance. When an employer does offer it in exchange for a release, the agreement must meet specific requirements to waive certain claims, especially age discrimination claims for workers 40 and older.
Should I investigate a complaint before terminating the employee who made it?
Yes. Terminating an employee shortly after a complaint, without a documented investigation and independent reasons, is a common source of retaliation claims.
About Nason Yeager
Nason, Yeager, Gerson, Harris & Fumero, P.A. is a full-service law firm headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Since 1960, the firm has represented businesses, individuals, and public entities in labor and employment, business and corporate law, real estate, construction, securities, land use, data privacy, litigation, and estate planning. Learn more at nasonyeager.com.
Contact Nason Yeager
Palm Beach Gardens: (561) 686-3307 | Seacoast National Centre, 3001 PGA Boulevard, Suite 305, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Boca Raton: (561) 982-7114 | 750 Park of Commerce Boulevard, Suite 210, Boca Raton, FL 33487
Fort Lauderdale: (561) 686-3307 | 110 East Broward Boulevard, Suite 1010, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Tampa/St. Petersburg (By Appointment Only): (561) 686-3307 | First Central Tower, 360 Central Avenue, Suite 800, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
This release provides general information and is not legal advice.
Sources and Further Reading
- Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, 29 U.S.C. § 2101 et seq. – U.S. Department of Labor
- Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, 29 U.S.C. § 626(f) – U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Family and Medical Leave Act – U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- Americans with Disabilities Act, Title I – U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Florida Civil Rights Act of 1992, Chapter 760, Florida Statutes – Florida Legislature
