>> Your company is going to be dramatically worse off if the people who have other options leave. If you have to let people go? you want to get rid of your bott

>> Your company is going to be dramatically worse off if the people who have other options leave. If you have to let people go? you want to get rid of your bottom performers, not the top performers. This is true, IFF your voluntary reduction process is indiscriminant in whom is approved. In the case of the Dell program, you have to "apply" for the voluntary layoff. In January they'll take all the applications and choose whom to let go. If they have no intention of reducing headcount in your group, you won't be accepted. If they do have intentions to reduce headcount in your group, but you're the best worker in the group, there's a strong chance they'll deny your application.