Does anyone have any concrete proof of this actually happening? I find it extremely doubtful.

Seems to be very loosely based on Jack Welch's actual maxim that 10% of the workforce should be arbitrarily fired every year in the hope that this performative beating would improve morale, and maybe productivity too. This sort of arbitrariness was actually popular with much of the right at the time, but it wasn't white men that Welch was explaining just needed to overdeliver and outperform (and definitely not have kids) to succeed in the long run...

The overlords of my time were certainly schooled in the ways of Jack Welch, but also particularly inspired by the 2009 Netflix vision of a High Performing Workplace as seen in their culture document. It was mandatory and inspirational reading.

When the performative beating and meritocracy absolutism collides with the sensitivities of the modern workplace the results are strangely unpredictable.

The memos are tucked away somewhere with my NDA and the memories of crushing peoples hopes, dreams and aspirations.

This is terrible. It makes my blood boil just seeing this.