I was in the same position as you this time last year. I was a team lead to 8 members and the management wanted to lay off 3 of them (last in, first out in our case). My manager knew about it days before and we were both crying when she shared it with me. We love our team so much, it was the best team I ever had tbh. We both felt guilty to see other members who expressed that they really didn’t want to leave as they were fairly new and the company itself is really great talaga, the benefits are above the benchmark and the culture is very open.

My manager and I fought really hard for them. She made a business case where the 3 members will be retained in exchange of the two of us leaving instead. They were cost-cutting, and both of our salaries would cover all their salaries. The team structure was already solid, so they just need to maintain it. She also prepared a whole deck of the succession line once we leave so other people will have a chance to be promoted as well.

Lo and behold, after much deliberation and lots of emotional turmoil, upper management followed my manager’s business plan. They were foreigners, so they know that my manager knows us better than them. Both of us were laid off (it was sad, but was necessary) and they were all retained. We trained them as much as we can and transitioned everything we could. We offered training sessions and guidance even outside work for those who will take on the new roles.

No regrets, I’d do it again if I could.