The CEO of a grooming and personal care products company has shed light on a concerning pattern of layoffs targeting professionals in their 40s, who often earn high salaries and have substantial financial commitments.
Shantanu Deshpande, the CEO of Bombay Shaving Company, talked about the “global phenomenon,” highlighting how this age group took the most severe hit because of their seniority and higher incomes.
He explained that employees in their 40s were frequently the first to be let go when budgets grew tight because they were among the “highest paid” in their organisations.
“Many professionals in their 40s are juggling college expenses for their children, financial support for ageing parents, EMIs, and often with limited savings,” Mr Deshpande said in an Instagram post.
He added that the expected “golden salary phase” was still ahead for several people in the age range of the late 40s or early 50s. Being fired at this point is a “financial and emotional disaster” and disrupts long-held career goals and financial trajectories, he said.
Mr Deshpande said the situation was “deeply concerning”.
He called losing a job in one’s 40s a “massive destabiliser” on both a financial and emotional level. “They have children going to college, money to send to parents, EMIs to cover — and not a lot of savings. It’s very, very worrying,” the CEO said.
Mr Deshpande also addressed the financial and emotional burden this age group faced. “The stress is real, and the pressure intense,” he added.
The CEO provided three essential survival techniques to lessen the effects when asked on LinkedIn what the solution to this “global phenomenon” was.
“Upskilling on AI, saving more, building entrepreneurial mindset,” he said.
Several online users claimed that people in this age bracket must diversify and upskill to stay competitive since many have trouble finding suitable positions because of their expertise and expected salaries.
One LinkedIn user said in part, “The most vulnerable are the ones between 40 to 45, and they are the first ones to receive the axe,” adding that it was particularly true when moving from large companies to startups in search of higher pay.
A second user added, “Yes 40 if they lay off then all will stop paying EMI & bills and more and more defaulters will increase and it’s a global issue.”
One Instagram user pointed out: “It’s difficult to change your skill” at this age.
The user noted that the individual has “already worked for 15 years on the same platform or business module” and upskill needs “investment of time and money which the organization may not agree to.”
According to a recent 2025 World Health Organization report, 40 per cent of impacted workers experience extreme stress due to such layoffs. Middle-aged males, who frequently bear most of the financial burden in Indian households, are most affected.
