Workers know that when a private equity firm buys up the company at which they work or a stock buyback is announced, they are likely about to get kicked in the face.
For those companies receiving taxpayer money, layoffs must be voluntary, not compulsory, as is already the case for many white-collar employees.
Companies can simply do a soft layoff by making working conditions worse (e.g. declaring a work-in-office mandate when working-from-home has been the norm)