RIF / Restructure Planning Kit

Plan and run a workforce reduction you can stand behind. A defensible selection, the right notice, a respectful exit, and clear lines for when to bring in counsel.

Four files that take you from the decision to the day after

A guide to read first, templates to build the paper trail, and a workbook that does the scoring, the fairness check, and the timeline. Built to be used together on one reduction.

• Start Here. How the pieces fit and the order to work in. One page, read it first.
• RIF and Restructure Planning Field Guide. The plain-language method for a defensible, humane reduction. It covers whether to cut at all and the alternatives worth trying first, how to choose what to cut, the fairness check, the notice and severance rules that carry real weight, delivering the news, and steadying the team that stays.
• RIF and Restructure Planning Templates. Business case memo, selection criteria worksheet, adverse-impact summary, manager notification script, and notice and release checklists. Fill one set per reduction. Opens in Word or Google Docs.
• RIF and Restructure Planning Workbook. A selection scorer that ranks roles on job-related criteria, a four-fifths adverse-impact check by age, sex, and race, a federal WARN screen with the 60-day notice clock, an OWBPA group-disclosure builder, and a separation tracker. Opens on a worked example. Works in Excel or Google Sheets.

The method in the order a reduction runs

The kit moves you through four stages, and the workbook and templates map to each one. The score informs the decision; it does not make it.

• Confirm it is the right move. Weigh the reduction against a hiring freeze, reduced hours, or a voluntary buyout, and size the cost and savings before you commit. Cutting too deep forces costly rehiring; too shallow and you are back here in a quarter.
• Define the unit and the criteria. Decide which group of roles you are choosing from, and write down the job-related criteria, before you look at any names. Doing it in that order is the single most protective habit in a reduction.
• Score, then check the selection. Score roles on consistent criteria in the workbook, then run the four-fifths adverse-impact check and the WARN screen. Both are built to show you where to slow down and get advice, not to hand you a verdict.
• Plan notice, the exit, and the conversation. Set the timeline, get releases drafted or reviewed by counsel, and deliver the news with a script that treats people decently. Track each person from selection to a signed release, and document as you go.

Built to hold up to scrutiny and honest about its limits

This is the part of HR with the most legal exposure, so the kit is built to be careful where it counts and clear about where a lawyer takes over.

• Never a stand-in for legal advice. On selection, notice, severance, and releases, the kit marks the legal checkpoints and tells you when to route the decision to qualified counsel.
• A worked example in every file. Each tool opens on a realistic reduction, not a blank sheet you have to decode.
• The rules checked against current sources. The WARN screen, the OWBPA disclosure, and the four-fifths check reflect current federal standards, framed as guidance to confirm for your situation.
• Assumptions on the surface. Every figure shows the inputs and rates behind it, so you can match them to your own numbers.

Who it is built for

Built for

• An owner or manager facing a reduction for the first time who wants to do it carefully.
• An HR team of one who needs structure, a paper trail, and a fairness check without a consultant’s bill.
• A consultant or fractional HR lead guiding a client through a restructuring.

If you are looking for

• A single exit, not selection from a group. The Discipline and Termination Decision Kit is built for individual exits and progressive discipline.
• A reduction outside the US. This kit is built around US federal rules, so for the EU start with the Global Employer line.

Before you buy

What format are the files and can I edit them?

Word, Excel, and PDF. The templates open in Word or Google Docs, and the workbook in Excel or Google Sheets. Everything is editable and yours to keep.

Is this legal advice?

No. It is general information and a set of estimates for planning. Because a reduction carries real legal exposure, the kit flags where to route a decision to qualified employment counsel, and you should do that before you act.

How is this different from free RIF templates online?

Free templates give you documents. This kit gives you the order of operations and the checks between them: criteria before names, a scorer that produces a record, the four-fifths check on the result, the WARN screen and notice clock, and the OWBPA disclosure builder, with the points where counsel takes over clearly marked. The files are the smallest part of running a reduction well.

Does it cover my state’s notice law?

The workbook screens the federal WARN trigger and counts the 60-day notice clock. State mini-WARN laws differ and several are stricter, so the kit prompts you to confirm the rules where you operate rather than assume the federal line.

Is it a subscription?

No. One-time purchase, instant download, no recurring fee. You keep the files.

Will it stay current as the rules change?

Each file carries a last-reviewed date so you can see how current it is, and meaningful updates are released as the rules change.

What is the refund policy?

Digital products are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. See the refund policy for the full terms.

Can I buy it on its own or only in a bundle?

It is sold on its own. It is also part of the Complete TrueStep HR System if you want the full library of kits and packs in one download.

What happens after I buy?

Checkout delivers an instant download link, and a receipt with the same link arrives by email. Open the Start Here page first; it tells you the order to work in. If a file gives you trouble, email support@truestephr.com.

Estimates and general business information for planning, not legal or tax advice. Have qualified employment counsel review your selection, notice, and release before you act. Last reviewed June 2026.