I work at a company that is currently trying to reduce headcount in the US by replacing positions with overseas workers who are paid significantly less. The atmosphere here has become quite toxic, filled with a sense of doom and gloom as we all wonder about our job security. There's a rumor that the downsizing process has been outsourced to a third party that uses an algorithm to determine who gets laid off. Even though age discrimination is illegal, I've seen it happen frequently, especially since older employees tend to earn more due to their longer tenure. I made a career change in my late 30s and have been with my current company for less than 20 years, while many of my peers, who are younger, have been here for 25 to 35 years and likely earn significantly more than I do for similar roles. I'm starting to wonder if my shorter tenure might actually work in my favor when it comes to the algorithm they are using. I’ve heard from others that it’s a numbers game, and the third party will analyze headcount and determine how many people can be eliminated from each department. Some companies prioritize laying off those with longer tenure due to their higher salaries, but there are no guarantees. For now, I think I’ll stick it out a bit longer since having tenure might provide me with a decent severance if things go south.