layoff policy

My wife was recently laid off from a job were she was a secretary for a small business ans worked part time. She worked 6.5 hrs a day. She had worked there for 6 1/2
years. When she was told that she was being laid off she was told her job was going to be a full time job. She was never offered a full time job at that time. They did offer it several months ago. She was then replaced a couple of hours later. In her handbook it states that all employees are employee at will. She had never been told anything bad about her work performance. She had recently recieved a 10 percent raise. She thinks that the reason for termination is a work conflict with one of the managers.

The reason they put on the layoff slip was lack of work.

It sounds as if the employer is trying to work with your wife by allowing her to collect unemployment, indictaing that she was let go for lack of work rather than her desire not to work full time when the position required it. She was offered the opportunity to increase her hours and chose not to. By declining to "grow" with the company, she pretty much laid her own path. The company, even though at-will, had a valid business reason for latting her go.