The strange math people do to survive layoffs

Intro

This cartoon came straight out of layoff-proof strategy humor, and honestly, it was inspired by a real incident that hit the headlines recently.

I was intrigued by the story — not because it was shocking, but because it revealed how unpredictable job security has become.

People are quietly juggling multiple roles, backup jobs, and side contracts just to survive the next round of layoffs, and that strange blend of fear and strategy felt like the perfect setup for a punchline.

The punchline

“Your strategy of working at six companies has paid off — only four laid you off. Two still haven’t.”

It’s dark, blunt, and painfully funny — exactly the kind of honesty nobody uses in interviews.

Why this layoff-proof strategy humor cartoon works

The humor lands because it exaggerates a survival tactic many are actually considering.

When layoffs become unpredictable, job stability starts to feel like probability management.

By turning employment into a numbers game, the cartoon highlights the absurdity of depending on “odds” rather than stability.

The real-world mirror

We’re in a moment where people are quietly holding two, sometimes three jobs — not out of ambition, but out of necessity.

Companies argue about policies, but employees argue about survival. This cartoon stretches that reality just enough to make the truth feel lighter … without losing its bite.

Let’s stir the comments

• What’s the most unusual layoff-proof strategy you’ve heard?

• Does this cartoon hit closer to funny or closer to real?

If this cartoon made you laugh — or made you rethink what “job security” even means — you’ll enjoy my other workplace crisis humor.

👉 Explore more posts in the Career category for more layoff logic, hiring madness, and corporate contradictions from Kaapi With Ravi.