last-in-first-out is often the way to go. In many jurisdictions, it is simply easier to fire your newer employees as certain employment protection rights only kick in after so many months or even years. Also, the newest people in are likely to be of some of the lowest immediate value to a company as new hires usually require training and expected to run at a loss for a while before eventually becoming useful and profitable.
So I’d say you’re most likely to get laid off if you’ve just been hired. Life is kind of funny like that.
Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
11–19 of 19 posts
Re: Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
#12last-in-first-out is often the way to go. In many jurisdictions, it is simply easier to fire your newer employees as certain employment protection rights only kick in after so many months or even years. Also, the newest people in are likely to be of some of the lowest immediate value to a company as new hires usually require training and expected to run at a loss for a while before eventually becoming useful and prof…
i’ll also expand upon my answer to say that, in tech at least, the need to fire is often after a hiring binge. if there is a general feeling that the hiring binge went too then it is natural to assume you need to fire those you have just hired.
Re: Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
#13[deleted]
Re: Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
#14last-in-first-out is often the way to go. In many jurisdictions, it is simply easier to fire your newer employees as certain employment protection rights only kick in after so many months or even years. Also, the newest people in are likely to be of some of the lowest immediate value to a company as new hires usually require training and expected to run at a loss for a while before eventually becoming useful and prof…
i’ll also expand upon my answer to say that, in tech at least, the need to fire is often after a hiring binge. if there is a general feeling that the hiring binge went too then it is natural to assume you need to fire those you have just hired.
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Re: Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
#15I think this varies so much between different companies that it's nearly impossible to make a blanket statement about it that would be useful.
Re: Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
#16Re: Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
#17I think this varies so much between different companies that it's nearly impossible to make a blanket statement about it that would be useful.
It can even vary a lot between different layoff events at the same company. Every layoff is its own animal.
Re: Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
This would suggest that everyone laid off in recent waves were mostly under performers or over paid?
That's typically what I've seen. If you are indispensable you won't get laid off as easily.
Careful. I've seen "indispensable" people get laid off. It's a reminder that everybody is dispensable.
Re: Ask HN: Who's Most Likely to Get Laid Off During Layoffs?
#19People in the part of the org that's cut. In my experience most layoffs aren't about cutting x% across teams, they're about the company deciding that they don't need entire functions altogether and getting rid of entire teams.
This was my experience at Microsoft. Cut our entire group, decided with higher interest rates the investment wasn’t worth it. If you’re in a group that is a long-term play and not immediately earning revenue, that’s a big risk when hard times come.