Can an employer in NY force only a handful of its existing employees to take unpaid time off in an effort to save payroll expenses? In other...

Question

Can an employer in NY force only a handful of its existing employees to take unpaid time off in an effort to save payroll expenses? In other words, make some employees take unpaid time and not others.

Answer

Unless it's a union shop the employer may select whom to lay off and cannot be challenged unless you can show unlawful discrimination.