Do you think the phrase “it’s just business” is an excuse for bad behavior? At my company, that line gets thrown around constantly—to explain layoffs with zero notice, to brush off toxic leadership, even to ignore complaints about harassment. It’s like slapping the word business on it makes it acceptable to treat people like they’re disposable. I get that companies have to make tough decisions, but there has to be a line. Is this just the way things are, or should we be pushing back and demanding better?

Layoffs are NOT bad behavior and it is in fact not personal, so in that context yes.

Toxic work environments and bad leadership absolutely no.

And harassment and abuse should never be tolerated.

It's just poor excuse for poor behaviour. Maybe it can fly if one business takes the business of another they would say that but internally it shouldn't be used I think...

It's just poor excuse for poor behaviour. Maybe it can fly if one business takes the business of another they would say that but internally it shouldn't be used I think...

It's a reference to the scene in The Godfather where Tessio explains his betrayal, saying "it was only business." So yeah, maybe it's not the best thing to toss around in a corporate setting. And it's used to explain away things that are not in fact business, like harassment. But, if we're honest about it, on some level we're a set of numbers, and being people comes secondary. So if business dictates we're gone, we're gone. The only good part is that it doesn't go as badly as it did for Tessio.

they did not say it's just "good" business

I never use that comment. I feel like it’s disrespectful. I will say those sometimes people make complaints about coworkers and they get upset because they think you should just fire them, but that’s not how the real world works. It’s a process you try to get them to change their behavior to work well with the team and go through the steps. I’ve seen people take it seriously and turn it around and others just don’t care and then they’re out the door. Just keep that in mind if you have problems with another coworker, sometimes there’s things going on behind the scenes. You’re not aware of and that they legally can’t tell you.

100%. It's sort of like saying "Capitalism is the best and I will do my best to make it even worse". I think that's awful. It's our responsibility as humans to be better than a "system", because a system doesn't account for individuality.

Use It'z just business for Switching and when your manager wants to retain, tell them!

If companies think business while operating, why do they contradict in retaining people, saying its family.