It's an unfortunate fact of life: Some people lose their jobs. It's not their fault. The company announced layoffs or closed completely. One of the many things our government does is requiring an early warning system. This is also an opportunity for insurance agents and financial advisors.

Personally, I've always thought everyone in the business knows about Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notifications, aka WARN notices. When I bring it up in training seminars, I'm always surprised it's new information for many people.

Back in 1988, Congress passed the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. As the link explains, companies with 100+ employees must provide 60 day notice of layoffs and plant closures, including the number of employees affected.

This is public information, reported at the state level. The department title can vary a bit, but it's usually some variation of your state's Department of Labor.

The easiest way to find these announcements is to do an Internet search using the words “Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification WARN” along with your state name.

How to use the information

The report you view online is usually a very current list. It tells you the company name, address, number of employees affected, effective date, and the reason, which is usually layoff or closure.

What next? You know many people who work at different places. Scan the WARN notices at least weekly. You might see a company name that sounds familiar. One of your friends or clients works there.

Call them up. You saw the layoff announcement online. Were they affected? Hopefully the answer is no because you don't want any of your friends to lose their jobs.

You ask: “were any of your friends affected?” At this point, the answer might be yes. You might mention: “When you leave a company, there's a lot you need to know about moving your retirement assets. I've helped other people. I might be able to help them too.” You now have an agent on the inside.

Is this necessary? Do they really need my help? Doesn't the company provide a way to roll over those retirement assets to a mainstream provider of these services? It makes sense, doesn't it?

That might be true if the employees affected were leaving the firm through normal retirement after years of faithful service, but this isn't the case. After years of faithful service they are being laid off. They may feel they don't want to be following the company's instructions. They don't want their former employer to know where the money is going. They want a relationship with someone outside their company, someone they chose.

That's the connection your friend or client can make for you.

Your friend was a casualty

Suppose the loss hit close to home. You've probably heard the saying: “It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job. It's a depression when you lose your job.”

Maybe your friend was directly affected. What now?

Consider these eight strategies:

1. Don't go after those retirement assets. There's plenty of time for that later. If you do, you come across as predatory and opportunistic.

2. Learn about them. You think you know what they do, but you really don't. You can't help unless you have all the details.

3. Leverage your LinkedIn contacts. It's been said LinkedIn is most valuable when you are looking for your next job. The time has come. Suggest they look through your 1st level contacts. Who is in the right industry? The right firm? You'll need to discuss how well you know them. Be realistic. In some cases you can put them together, in others the connection is too casual.

4. Informational interviews. You might have a friend in their industry. They may not be in a position to hire, but they know people. Ask if they would meet with your friend and give them some advice. Ask your friend who lost their job to call them to setup the meeting.

5. Former employee alumni groups. If they worked for a big firm, there's probably a former employee and alumni group out there. Start looking at groups on LinkedIn. Suggest they do some online research too. If the group is active, they probably have a website. Why make the effort? Because these alumni probably moved to other firms or started their own businesses.

6. College alumni association. Someone paid a fortune for their education. Like automobiles, there should be aftermarket service available. If they attended a college specializing in their field, the alumni office should have placement resources available.

7. Professional associations. If they are employed in a specific field, there's likely a professional association with a local chapter. If they already belong, that's great. If not, they should join and start networking.

8. Keep in touch. It's easy to forget about people when they aren't part of your normal routine. They feel the world has moved on and forgotten them. It often happens to people who lost their spouses, too. You are different – you keep in touch. Don't ask “Have you found a job yet?” Lead off with other social questions. They will update you on their job hunt.

Hopefully they find another job. The crisis has passed. Now's the time to address that rollover situation. As they look back on the past several weeks and months, they realized you were alongside them, helping them without being intrusive. You should now have a client for life.

Bryce Sanders is president of Perceptive Business Solutions Inc. He provides HNW client acquisition training for the financial services industry. His book, “Captivating the Wealthy Investor” can be found on Amazon.

Instant Insights /

What advisors and agents need to know about WARN notices

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