• kandoh@reddthat.com
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    3 months ago

    Here’s the deal: these people aren’t being laid off because the company is losing money, they are being laid off because the company is not making as much money as it predicted it would last quarter.

    Now, not making as much money as you thought while still being profitable is not a bad thing except for one person: the c-level executive.

    The c-level has profit targets he needs to hit to unlock a huge bonus. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake for him, that one individual.

    So these hundreds of people aren’t losing their jobs so the company can thrive and be healthy. They’re losing their jobs so one person can make hundreds of thousands of dollars more on top of their existing salary which was always guaranteed to them.

    • chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      No, it’s also bad for shareholders. Shareholders need to see the numbers go up in order to get returns on their investment, either in the form of buybacks or dividends. A company that isn’t seen as worth investing in will show a decline in share price, causing shareholders to lose money.

      • explodicle@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        Would the investors not risk adjust? Layoffs mean the company’s output is shrinking, not growing. They get a short term savings at the cost of long term productivity.

        • chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Investors buy on the rumours and sell on the news. They make money as long as the numbers go up when they’re long and down when they’re short.

          I think John Deere is seen as a pretty dominant company in its industry. It locks in tons of farmers into its repair/service program.

          I don’t know anything about the specifics of the layoffs but I’d imagine the reasoning was communicated to investors.

    • Franklin@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      WHOOPS I didn’t mean to reply to you lol, just to the post.

      If anyone hasn’t watched the latest wendover productions video I highly recommend it.

      It covers John deere’s transition into a technology company and details why they’re laying off a lot of their factory workers. Link