There's so many depressing things about this, but the fact that both parties are complicit in this makes it all the more galling.

Absolutely wild that the "official" figure (and this will have been there even under Biden) is $32k for a family of 4.

9/9 This isn't normal. Or it shouldn't be.
But when you can monetize teaching managers how to fire people "humanely" while actually teaching them how to avoid lawsuits and use better euphemisms, you've built a perfect business model.
Layoffs aren't inevitable. They're profitable.

8/9 Someone created this course.
Someone paid to promote it.
Managers are paying to take it.
LinkedIn is hosting and profiting from it.
Everyone's making money except the people getting laid off.
The system is working perfectly.

7/9 More gems:
✅ Use "restructuring" instead of "layoffs"
✅ Say "impacting" instead of "losing their jobs"
✅ Tell people "I understand this is upsetting"

Euphemisms + script = humanity, apparently.

6/9 The advice: "Lead with honesty and empathy"
Also the advice:

❌ Don't tell people about imminent layoffs
❌ Don't tell the truth if asked directly
✅ Cut off access quickly after notification so they can't "steal documents"
✅ Be vague about whether more layoffs are coming
Peak honesty.

5/9 What it actually teaches: how to execute layoffs efficiently while managing company and legal risk.
It's not about empathy. It's about liability management with a human face.
"Humanity" means "don't get sued."

4/9 The course teaches "handling layoffs with humanity and empathy."
This should be table stakes. You shouldn't need a paid course to treat people like humans when destroying their livelihoods.
But here's the thing: that's not what this course even teaches.

3/9 Doesn't matter if layoffs are now about boosting profits or shareholder value rather than last resort.
They're "inevitable." Accept it. Normalize it.
Record profits? Layoffs. Great quarter? Layoffs. Just how things work now.

2/9 Within the first minute, a graphic: "Layoffs can be inevitable"
The speaker: "Layoffs are often inevitable"
The course description: "Layoffs are part of our new normal"
See what's happening? They're reframing layoffs as routine. Like taking PTO. Just part of employment.

Yep, it's legalized fleecing. All part of the corporate grift. You are not tenants, you are revenue generators.

Yep - I should have. Was busy with a new job, and moving into a new house, and it was in the middle of Covid. I shouldn't have let them win. But it's just part of the ongoing grind. It's exhausting - and it's by design.

They took it already! (Out of what was left of my deposit)