You know that scene in Fight Club where Ed Norton beats the crap out of himself to walk away with off-the-books pay severance and free flight vouchers? Those lazy eBay employees didn't even have to go through that much for their sweetheart deal. Yahoos, on the other hand, would count themselves lucky to get the chance. If living in California hasn't made your heart bleed liberal juice yet, read what CaliforniaCajun, today's featured commenter, says:

You're not paying people to leave. You're making sure they can make it to the next job without losing their home, possessions, etc.

I'm surprised at your dismissiveness of those who "can't find a job". Not all parts of a company are laid off equally, and when layoffs happen here, they happen en masse and the boom/bust cycle we seem addicted to here ensures that the maximum number of people will be competing for the minimum number of jobs for six months or more.

This valley is kinda expensive to live in. Most of these folks don't save their money. Three weeks without work can mean the difference between making it and losing everything. And like WhatBubble said, you don't burn bridges in a culture with so many interconnected people.

Today's layoff candidate could be gunning for you in six months at a different company. And well motivated to do so. Why not spend a little bit to give them a graceful landing?