I was laid off a few months ago unexpectedly, and it really caught me off guard. After the fact, I found out that upper management had been planning these layoffs for at least six months. They had already determined how many people to let go from each department; they just needed to finalize the names. What baffled me was how some of my colleagues seemed completely unfazed during this process. I was putting in over 60 hours a week, while others were coasting along, doing the bare minimum, and still managed to keep their jobs. It just doesn't add up to me. I’ve moved on and am actively searching for new roles, but I still can’t wrap my head around why some people were seemingly immune to the layoffs. I wonder if they had connections that I didn’t know about, but it seems unlikely that every single person who was just cruising had that advantage. This experience has really opened my eyes to the dynamics of corporate culture and how it often rewards those who play the game rather than those who work hard.