Salaried workers in North America who lose their jobs as part of the layoffs will receive a lump-sum payment equal to between one and 12 months' pay, depending on how long they have worked for the company and whether they are willing to sign a waiver releasing Ford from any legal liability stemming from their termination.

Employees who refuse to sign the waiver and who have been at Ford for less than three years will receive nothing. More senior employees who decline to sign will receive between one and three months' pay.

Employees whose positions are eliminated also are eligible to receive medical and life insurance benefits for up to six months following their termination, depending on the length of their tenure.

As Ford and General Motors Corp. prepare layoffs across their operations, workers at both companies have been anxiously awaiting terms of severance deals.

Last week, GM announced it is paring back its severance benefits for salaried employees, though GM's package is richer than Ford's by providing up to 15 months of salary.

John Challenger, an outplacement expert at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said Ford's package was consistent with most executive severance plans, but offers more to lower-ranking workers than most. Typically, he said, nonmanagement salaried workers are only offered a week or two weeks' pay for each year of service, while executives often get a month for each year.

"Ford's done some slightly different things," Challenger said. "They've capped what long-tenured people can get. (But) they've been more generous than a lot companies at the lower end."

Ford also outlined the revised terms of its "career transition program (CTP)," which provides similar benefits. "The CTP is more of an individual program (for employees whose) career aspirations just aren't matching (Ford's)," Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans said.

Workers whose employment is terminated under the program and who have been at the company for a year or more will also receive between one and 12 months' pay, but the length of service required for each additional month is higher. For example, an engineer who has been at Ford for 14 years would receive a full year's pay if the job was cut as part of a broader layoff plan, but only eight months' pay if he or she was singled out for termination under the CTP.

Ford also outlined the details of its voluntary separation plan -- where workers are offered buyout packages that they can accept or turn down -- but did not provide the financial terms. "Those are shared with employees if and when we choose to implement the voluntary program," Evans said, adding no decision has been made at this time.

Evans said the policies include several minor changes. For example, the career transition program used to be handled separately from the involuntary termination plan. The compensation levels for both of those plans remain unchanged from when they were outlined in 2002.

Ford's automotive operations have swung to a loss of nearly $1.7 billion before taxes during the first nine months of 2005. Company executives warned last month the company had to trim thousands of salaried positions in North America.

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