INCE OUTPLACEMENT TECHNIQUES HRST AP-

peared in 1982 substantial changes have occurred in the

corporate landscape relative to discharge and outplacement

practices. Foremost among these changes is that downsizing and

work-force reduction have become part of the terminology of

American business. Outplacement is no longer only a service of-

fered to individuals and the termination of individuals is no

longer a relatively isolated event. The past five years have seen a

wave of large-scale work-force reductions ripple through the

economy. Drake Beam Morin has been repeatedly called upon

not only to provide outplacement support for large groups of em-

ployees at all levels of corporate life, but also to assist in devising

guidelines for the process itself. Each downsizing has to be han-

ded within the context of the specific situation. In Chapter

Twelve, we identify what we have come to regard as the basic

steps of the process that need to be addressed by management.

Widespread work-force reductions have led to the

emergence of a number of new concerns in human-resource man-