Actually, keeping an impending layoff a secret is possible. I was part of a sizable layoff at a medium-sized publicly traded company that was AFAIK a complete

Actually, keeping an impending layoff a secret is possible. I was part of a sizable layoff at a medium-sized publicly traded company that was AFAIK a complete surprise to everyone below the director level. Certainly no-one else at my level, or even my immediate supervisor saw it coming. (To be fair the company had cut costs in other ways several months before due to the recession.) FWIW the company was very professional about it, letting us work the rest of the week if we felt like it (not that I did as I started looking for a new job immediately), giving us access to an outsourcing firm, a reasonable severance package, and--most importantly for the US--paid health insurance for 6 months. Given the financial necessity of reducing the company's headcount, IMO they did it just about as humanely as possible. But then again it's also good business as those who survived could plan their exits given the opportunity if they felt the company was being unfair, and those of us who were cut can get the word out.