Seems pretty simple to me - we all know the industry is retracting over the next 10-15 years. Oil demand will stagnate and gradually decline.
You all know a layoff is coming....
I bet 20-30% of the workforce has a pipedream/backup plan. You should have one. Let them make a reasonably high bid (12-18-24 months), and get their little pipe dream financed by OXY. Leave room on the G&A for those of you who are too in love with upstream, know you have upward potential, or too close to retirement to switch careers.
Let OXY finance you learning how to code, interning at a crazy risky start up, flip houses, or take the LSAT and apply to law school, or whatever you want to do with your time.
Would you rather be laid off at random? I don't understand the outrage.
If you all complain and wait you will end up with 1 month per year of service.
This whole entitlement of 6 months + 1 year of service as a BASE CASE is wrong. Any other industry would be ~3-5 months severance for rank and file staff.