Layoffs are not seen as mismanaging your workforce by investors. They're generally seen as a gamble that didn't pay off. Especially with tech companies, taking gambles is a good thing, investors want to see that management is taking risks.
holding up people's wages to get the company through a bump or two would be another bold gamble and a savvy business move until it was made illegal (luckily for all of us non-sociopaths)
