It’s very common. Top management in large political orgs do not want to be associated with a failed project. They will spend the first days actively covering their tracks. Once this is done, they usually send HR to clean house. Unions stay low too because on the paper this good for the employees (salary is there, more time is given to pivot, etc).

It can happen at smaller scale in small companies, too. In my first serious job, when the CEO left after a merge his assistant/secretary was left behind but with nothing to do, and was forgotten. At some point someone realised that she had spent several months doing nothing but playing solitaire on her PC. She didn't complain because she was afraid to simply be fired, obviously.