I don't disagree that the C-suite often makes boneheaded decisions not based in rationality or evidence, but...
Constructive dismissal and finding new, unique, and legally convoluted ways to get rid of people without having to pay as much to get rid of them has been something these companies have spent literally billions on studying over 60 years. I'm old enough to remember when they re-named it "Downsizing."
There's a reason they all turn to McKinsey. This is literally one of the few things where they follow the data.
I would be more receptive to this idea if getting rid of senior staff to cut costs hadn't been the name of the game for six decades or more by now. I feel like this is one issue you can bank on with major companies, they love it when senior employees leave of their own volition.