"We Need To Place A Higher Value On Human Existence."
Don't worry -- this post is NOT about abortion or anything.
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I just discovered this
newsletter, which seems pretty good.Within that edition, I found this discussion of why layoffs don’t really work.
I think most people inherently understand that layoffs don’t do much or work the way they’re intended (I.e. they don’t cut costs at the level of expectation, or juice the stock price accordingly). If you need a summary of why they don’t work:
Moreover, layoffs don’t work to improve company performance, Pfeffer adds. Academic studies have shown that time and time again, workplace reductions don’t do much for paring costs. Severance packages cost money, layoffs increase unemployment insurance rates, and cuts reduce workplace morale and productivity as remaining employees are left wondering, “Could I be fired too?”
Indeed. And if you get further down, there’s a section with linked research. Notably:
Layoffs kill people, literally. They kill people in a number of ways. Layoffs increase the odds of suicide by two and a half times. This is also true outside of the United States, even in countries with better social safety nets than the U.S., like New Zealand.
Layoffs increase mortality by 15–20% over the following 20 years.
There are also health and attitudinal consequences for managers who are laying people off as well as for the employees who remain. Not surprisingly, layoffs increase people’s stress. Stress, like many attitudes and emotions, is contagious. Depression is contagious, and layoffs increase stress and depression, which are bad for health.
Unhealthy stress leads to a variety of behaviors such as smoking and drinking more, drug taking, and overeating. Stress is also related to addiction, and layoffs of course increase stress.
I think most of us know that, in general.
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