Layoffs and Office Politics: The Tug of War
Layoffs don’t just affect employees—they change the entire power balance in a company. When layoffs happen, managers face tough situations. After cuts, department managers start competing to keep or take FTEs (full-time employees) for their teams. This creates office politics that everyone feels. Layoffs: More Than Numbers Officially, layoffs are about saving costs. But behind the scenes, they can be used to strengthen some managers and weaken others. Some managers try to keep their loyal employees while others get targeted. These decisions are often based on personal bias , not actual work. The Fight for FTEs After layoffs, every employee is very valuable. Managers compete to get more people on their teams. They may: Question the value of other managers’ teams Try to move good people to their own teams Argue about which department deserves more help The Circus of Perks, Promotions, and Politics In this chaos, employees who want perks , promotions , or salary increases become e...