Layoffs at Yahoo
Layoffs at Yahoo
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Recently, the magazine Fortune has reported the following story:
“Rumors of layoffs at Yahoo have been swirling since the beginning of this year. Now, CEO Marissa Mayer has reportedly carried through on those firings without meaning to.
As many as 30 employees were said to have been let go in conversations with their supervisors, only to be told later that they were simply on a shortlist, the New York Post reported.
“They put people on firing lists who they didn’t mean to—people who were lower on the performance scale but who weren’t meant to get fired,” an insider told The Post. “But no one told the managers, and then they had the conversations, and it was like, ‘Oops.’ ”
The snafu reportedly didn’t go over well with team leaders, and adds further jitters to an already-embattled company. In early January, Mayer reportedly joked that she wasn’t going to lay off employees “this week,” and she apparently has also drawn and “Invest/Maintain/Kill” list detailing the company’s upcoming cuts.
Yahoo are due to report on their fourth-quarter results on Tuesday, with Mayer expected to present a detailed strategy on how to turn around the company’s business model and cost structure, according to The Wall Street Journal.”
Discussion questions
This is an interesting case to think about ethical issues laying off one’s employees. Do you think that Mayer did something morally wrong? Assess this from the point of view of utilitarianism and deontology.
I think the perspective of the utilitarianism, this decision is not wrong. This is the company’s interests as the starting point of decision. Utilitarianism which means acting in order to produce the greatest possible balance of “good” over “bad” for everyone attested by our actions. But perspective of the deontology this decision not good to people who work for this company. And deontology which means actions as inherently right or wrong apart from any particular circumstances. Rule not depending on actions outcome and knowledge of the rules knowledge of higher good
Let’s assume that you’re a deontologist. Can you provide a justification that justify the idea that laying off employees is an immoral action?
Deontology means actions as inherently right or wrong apart from any particular circumstances. Right and wrong as a function of obeying rules: Rule not depending on actions outcome and knowledge of the rules knowledge of higher good. I think laying off employees is an immoral action,First of all, this kind of behavior is not in conformity with the rules of deontology, Second, layoffs are irresponsible for employees, will be big impact or harm to others.