AVOID THAT L-WORD: UC Irvine employees gingerly...

AVOID THAT L-WORD: UC Irvine employees gingerly call it “that L-word.” Layoffs are now possible since University of California regents approved slashing 1,000 non-teaching jobs across the nine-campus system. . . . At UCI (B1), a “golden handshake” may entice many of the 202 eligible senior staff to retire early. For benefits manager Barbara Brown, 69, the offer is too good to refuse: She’ll get credit for five extra years of service on top of her own 20, boosting her retirement pay by 12%, plus a five-month salary bonus. . . . The “golden” offer expires March 31.