The state's planned layoffs were enjoined by a judge late Monday:

The suit charges top state officials violated provisions in law surrounding a 60-day notice for affected employees.

Circuit Court Judge Amanda McClendon granted employees' request for a restraining order and has scheduled a hearing for this coming Monday in the case, said attorney Larry Woods, who is representing the Tennessee State Employees Association and a group of individual state workers, including several from Hamilton County.

TSEA Executive Director Robert O'Connell said the suit was filed with "great reluctance" after last-minute meetings with state officials, including Human Resources Commissioner Rebecca Hunter, failed to produce results.

Contacted Monday night, Haslam Communications Director Alexia Poe said by email "it wouldn't be appropriate for us to comment on potential/pending litigation."

While the state provided the notices throughout April, officials did not comply with a section that says soon-to-be-fired employees be given "career counseling, job testing, and placement efforts," the suit says.

That's because the state's Department of Human Resources on May 9 took down the agency's Neogov online service that employees must use to find job openings and apply for them, according to state employees.

Hiring is now frozen and the site doesn't come back up until June 19 -- a day after 72 state Labor and Workforce Development workers are slated to lose their jobs following notices provided April 19.