It should be no surprise that layoffs ultimately cost a company more in the long run, but here's an interesting interview nonetheless. It's worth a listen, but the TLDR is that short term gains are obvious, but longer term, it usually results in underperformance relative to companies who don't do that.
https://hbr.org/podcast/2023/12/the-hidden-costs-of-layoffs
Now, that's just layoffs, so imagine what happens when you aren't just laying off, but also using dubious tactics to stack rank, fabricate performance reviews, and look for ways to fire people for cause as a way to avoid severance costs?
This is why I am not long in WFC and I watch it every month or so for opportunities to short.