Yeah (in the US, depending on state) plus when you get paid off you get severance, maybe even unemployment. At least you know where you stand. If the bosses are truly assholes, you know where they are. I think it's entirely possible in many cases they just don't realize what they are doing. In another situation they might be truly wanting interchangeable low value programmer, so tell them it's not a good fit anymore, I'll help you hire my replacement, please leave me a good letter of recommendation on the way out, and you get that.