Lawsuit: Layoffs at Foxtons broke law

Two former Foxtons Inc. employees said the real estate company violated federal law when it didn't give them and their co-workers at least 60 days' notice before laying them off, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court.

Marco Cimmino of Neptune and Abram Covella of Pine Beach, who worked as home consultants, filed the lawsuit on behalf of a class of workers. They're seeking to recover lost wages and benefits, said attorneys David A. Krenkel and Lisa C. Krenkel.

West Long Branch-based Foxtons, a real estate broker that billed itself as a low-cost alternative, last week said it couldn't continue to operate in the faltering real estate market. It laid off 350 of its 380 employees and said it plans to file for bankruptcy.

The question: Did Foxtons violate the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires companies with 100 or more employees to give workers at least 60 days' notice before a mass layoff?

Foxtons could not be reached for comment. But the law has caveats. Employers don't need to give advance notice if they are the victim of a natural disaster or unforeseen business circumstances, or if they believed giving notice would have ruined their chances to obtain financing. More>>