Shirley Lin (’11), Assistant Professor of Law at Brooklyn Law School, was quoted by the BBC discussing factors contributing to end-of-year job cuts and questioning the perception of “vibecession” (“The ‘Vibecession’ Driving Holiday Mass Layoffs,” Dec. 14). In the normal course of business, “Companies typically track their financials to the calendar year when reporting quarterly results. A company’s annual reports to shareholders, which are also important to attract new investors, include last-quarter financial results.” Citing a surge in labor action for bringing attention to holiday-season layoffs, Shirley added, “We’re seeing a historic surge of public support for workers’ rights. In recent years, there’s been growing interest in companies and shareholders taking workers’ wellbeing and contributions to the company’s success back into account, along with the equitable workplace policies.” Indeed, “Layoffs just before the holidays can damage company morale and its public image. The timing of these layoffs can seem particularly cruel, since worker productivity in the US has soared, but historically without similar levels of wage growth,” she said.
