Allergies are the result of a hypersensitive immune system. The allergic immune system misidentifies an otherwise innocuous substance as harmful, and then attacks the substance with a ferocity far greater than required.
Laying off an employee is different from firing an employee. Firing means letting a worker go for any reason, whereas a layoff refers to an employment termination based on economics, usually involving more than one worker.
Layoffs are never easy for a small business owner. Employees can become like family, and telling them no work is available can be as much a personal heartbreak as it is a business maneuver. Laying off employees on the basis of seniority can take some of the sting out of the process and provide workers with a sense of fairness.