I have been there during the last lay-off and I can assur no one was selected based on their salary or performance , the only thing considered on who will adapt to change and those folks were retained and rest laid off. However I thought the severance package was really good along with an option to refer them through our partners and trust I wanted to be on the laid off list to get that money and get out . Having said that I am sure there could be some black sheep’s who may have used that opputuntiy to practise nepoatism and favouritism . However in larger scheme of events the decision was fair.
Metricstream showed great empathy and emotion at that time ,it been a long time I quit now I don’t know the state of their mind . All I can hope is if lay-off happens again hopefully the attitude should be the same as 2017.
Keeping in tone to your advise to management - if lay-off have to happen please let go mid level managers and directors who are good for nothing and give them the power to select people for lay-off. No point . Please look in to the organisation as a whole and take decision from highest level and purely based on numbers and individual attitude to change.
I agree wit the OP ( @Vyfc94O-aksm ). If layoffs have to happen, hope they would be done systematically and based on the same criteria like in 2017