There’s been talk, from a source I trust, that leadership has been exploring workforce reductions. The numbers being floated include cuts of 15% up to roughly a quarter (25%) of staff under each director across most departments. The focus appears to be aggressive cost savings, and part of that includes looking at compensation levels and where employees are in their career timelines. Officially, they can’t say that’s a factor, but it’s being quietly discussed.
What’s even more concerning is that some highly skilled employees are being targeted not because of performance, but because they don’t fit in with their immediate manager’s preferences, push back against the status quo, or are seen as difficult simply for having a different perspective. If someone isn’t aligned with their leader or is viewed as inconvenient when numbers need to be met, they become an easy choice.
It’s incredibly hard on the people who consistently show up, do exceptional work, and still go unrecognized especially when they’re not being supported or advocated for by leadership. This year feels different. The impact will be left on the shoulders of the people that are left behind, overwhelmed, burning out, and losing their sense of pride in the workplace. But with cost cutting being seen as 'essential' to the business, this is the direction things seem to be heading.