Those are some...interesting...views. 1) There is no "absolutely normal" anything about firing or laying off employees. Some of layoffs/firings will be to get

Those are some...interesting...views. 1) There is no "absolutely normal" anything about firing or laying off employees. Some of layoffs/firings will be to get rid of bottom X%-ers, but some will be good or even very well qualified and capable employees (e.g. for salary or budgetary reasons). 2) There is no such thing as a "free market." Or, put another way, "it's a free market" in the same way that China is a pure communist state. 3) You're assuming the person granting the grade--the manager--is being objective and assigning grades fairly. If you think managers do that, you're either a manager, inexperienced, or woefully oblivious (or possibly all three). There are many, many reasons a person could be placed in the bottom X% that have literally nothing to do with his performance or abilities.