No layoffs doesn’t mean no terminations or voluntary departures

Because even if you don’t want to leave and just want to do your job quietly, the food won’t come that easily.

There will always be plenty of difficult tasks put on your plate. If you hit your targets by cutting corners and get reported, too bad—you’ll be disciplined and fired.

If you neither cut corners nor meet your targets, slacking off and letting things spiral out of control until they reach senior management, well, the bosses can throw more money and resources at the problem. But you’ll be labeled incompetent and lazy. You’ll get transferred and take a pay cut.

They could also send you overseas—positioned at a branch in some remote province to pioneer new business, or even assigned to stay in Africa long-term. Go ahead.

Not laying people off doesn’t mean no transfers, and it doesn’t mean no overseas postings.

In the end, you’ll have no choice but to quit on your own.