Previously I worked in the energy industry. Layoffs were definitely far more lucrative for employees. * Most individual contributors received 1-2 years of pay

Previously I worked in the energy industry. Layoffs were definitely far more lucrative for employees. * Most individual contributors received 1-2 years of pay * Next bonus cycle was paid out early as part of severance * Contract employees were fully paid out their 1-3 year contracts (Why the hell don't tech startups offer contracts? Another discussion we should have some day) * Senior employers were usually 'bridged to retirement' * A consultant was hired to assist each employee with finding their next job * Voluntary severance options were offered pre-layoff * COBRA was paid out for a long time after severance ended (varied by employee) Less tangible but arguably more importantly: Employees were warned 6 months ahead that their division would be laying off people. This signal helped employees evaluate life decisions like home purchases, weddings, pregnancy. Also notable is that most other industries doesn't hire people in 'binge' mode like the tech industry did. They will staff up sharply only when positions become available. The tech industries 2020-2022 "hire everyone then figure out what they should work on" caused the layoffs to increase in magnitude. I still wouldn't recommend leaving tech for the energy industry, but that is one of the few aspects where tech is the inferior place to work.