Arthur C. Brooks:

The Princeton psychologist Daniel Kahneman and his colleagues measured the "negative affect" (bad moods) that ordinary daily activities and interactions kick up. They found that the No. 1 unhappiness-provoking event in a typical day is spending time with one's boss.

Mike Huckabee:

In politics, there are three basic categories. There's campaigning, there's governing and there's talking about it. The easiest of the three is talking about it. It also pays the best.

Felix Salmon:

The problem, in general, is that managers reflexively attempt to pay their employees the minimum necessary to prevent them from leaving, while at the same time making every effort to maximize their own income.

Tim Dowling:

Deflation is only a problem if you're the one trying to sell the cheap thing, or if the incredibly cheap thing is your salary, and your boss can't decide between paying you peanuts and finding someone else who will do your job for even less.

Economist:

At most large Japanese firms, around a third of permanent staff are surplus to requirements, yet cannot be fired due to the country's unclear labour rules.

Had lay-offs been easier, Panasonic, Sony and others would have had far greater financial flexibility to cope with changing market conditions. Instead, their limited voluntary severance packages, typically offering two to three years' pay, are cripplingly expensive. Those who accept them are often the most talented.