Item — HN Reader

If anyone here has only worked in the EU and wants to see what the US layoff process is supposed to be on a good day, just watch the movie Margin Call and the scene where Eric Dale is called into the office by HR to be fired.

There's a scene where they put a folder in front of him with a brightly-coloured sailboat on the cover labelled "LOOKING AHEAD." It's exactly as grim as it sounds.

5 comments

Another "fun" thing about that movie is you see the HR lady who delivered the news with a bunch of false empathy walking out the building with a box in a later scene.

Watched this movie 3 times and never noticed! This is a fun touch.

That’s very subtle. I have not noticed that.

also, the pacing of:

"I hope, considering your [pause to check personnel file] over nineteen years of service to the firm you will understand that these measures are in no way a reflection of the firm's feelings towards your performance or your character"

Up in the Air was another great depiction of the most cynical mode of doing layoffs. And, of course, Office Space.

I was laid off by a consultant. It was somehow even worse than Up in the Air since they made my manager sit in on the call.

I know they probably made this up for the movie, but I almost went through my file cabinet to look for that exact folder because I have been through several layoffs and it looked so familiar

American companies play mental games and gaslight everyone by calling it “a hard decision” and try to place the empathy back on the executives who get paid 10-100x the employees they just fired without warning. It’s sociopathic behavior.

I don’t think that’s really fair. It can certainly be a hard but necessary decision. And what does it matter that a CEO makes more than his employees? Even if he makes 50 times what they make, that means even if he gave up all of his salary he could only save the jobs of 50 employees.

Could he get a bonus if he fires 50 more?