Real screenshots from the kit files. Example figures are illustrative.
RIF and 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.
One-time purchase, no subscription. Instant download.
Built by expert HR practitioners and leaders
- Selection scoring workbook that ranks roles on job-related criteria
- Four-fifths adverse-impact check by age, sex, and race
- WARN and OWBPA planning prompts with the 60-day notice clock
- Severance and release planning with the legal checkpoints marked
- Manager script for delivering the news
- Field guide plus templates, four files in Excel, Word, and PDF
The tool organizes and supports the decision. It does not make the decision and does not replace legal review.
Want it set up with you? Add a 60 minute implementation session, $149 →
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.
Not the right fit? Take the 60-second match.
Last reviewed June 2026
Buying for clients or multiple entities? The White-Label tier is in the license.
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.
The kit tells you when to call a lawyer
Most of a reduction's legal tripwires are invisible until you cross one. The field guide and workbook flag the ones that matter, so you slow down before, not after. Getting advice early is the strong move, and it is far cheaper than the claim it prevents.
Who does what
A reduction is a split of work between you, the kit, and your counsel. Here is the split, stated plainly.
- The kit builds the record; you make the call. The scorer turns job-related criteria into a consistent, documented selection, and the decision stays yours, on paper, the way it should be.
- The kit preps the work; counsel covers the law. Every point where a lawyer takes over is marked, so the legal review is focused and the bill is smaller.
- The kit screens and counts; counsel confirms. It runs the federal WARN screen and the 60-day notice clock, then flags exactly when to confirm what applies with counsel.
- The kit shows what a valid release needs; counsel drafts it. You arrive with the OWBPA group disclosure and the facts organized, which is the slow part done.
- The kit keeps the work organized, documented, and ready for review. A reduction stays a serious decision; the kit makes it a well-run one.
Who it's built for
Who this fits, and where to go if that's not you.
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?
Is this legal advice?
How is this different from free RIF templates online?
Does it cover my state's notice law?
Is it a subscription?
Will it stay current as the rules change?
What is the refund policy?
Can I buy it on its own or only in a bundle?
What happens after I buy?
Can I expense this purchase to my business?
Most customers buy TrueStep HR tools for business use, and a tool you use for work often qualifies as a deductible business expense. Whether it does for you depends on your situation, so confirm with your accountant or tax professional. Your receipt arrives by email at checkout and works as documentation.
The 6 red flags to check before you discipline or fire someone
A five-minute screen that catches the most common and most expensive people-decision mistakes before they happen. Free PDF, sent to your inbox. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plan the reduction once and get it right
The full method, the editable templates, and the planning workbook, with every legal checkpoint marked so you know when to bring in counsel.
Estimates and general information for planning, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed June 2026.