I think it's more that voluntary redundancies tend to foreshadow compulsory redundancies, and indicate that the company thinks workers in your area don't make as much in money as you cost in salary. Given that you'll end up unemployed anyway, you might as well get some cash out of it.

When you and your co-workers are being offered voluntary redundancy and sites other than yours are being closed is also a good time to make sure you have redundancy insurance on any loans you have; to check your CV is up to date; and to make sure your friends at other companies still remember who you are.

not op, but "You'd take the $2k vs. working at Zappos, or does the money have to be a material amount?"

Isn't that part of the Zappos standard procedure and not an "event" like this? If I read lsc correctly, then if some event occurs where the company offers money / severance to leave, you are better off leaving. I don't know if anyone has stats on this scenario, but I'm inclined to think the recovery is the long odds bet.

Yeah. that's pretty much it. If they are offering people money to leave, they are doing layoffs, but instead of firing the low-performers, they are getting rid of those most able to get other work.

Now, sometimes it does work out for the company; if you've got no other options, sure, you will put up with worse treatment and do more work.

either way, it's a pretty strong sign that the company will very shortly become a place I don't want to work.

I would /pay/ $2k to avoid working customer support for zappos. I'd pay rather more than that, in fact. Have you worked phone support? I only did so for a month, and it was probably the least pleasant job I've ever had.

True, true. I had a job where I essentially did nothing but customer support. It was actually pretty fun doing "field" support, and I like doing high-level support (remote, even; pre-sales is more interesting, but "fix this actual bug no one understands" is cool too), but doing first line phone support was hell. It was funny that the company was paying me $absurd but viewed it as "sunk cost" so something a $50-100k/yr person could have easily done became also my job description at times.

Working for Zappos, at least based on their offices and culture, also appears to be a unique form of hell, but those attracted to the company probably would like it.