No layoffs -- ever!

As sales dipped in 2008, the Container Store froze wages and stalled 401(k) matching in order to avoid layoffs. After a significant turnaround in the following year, the company lifted the freeze and will reinstate its match in March. It's also strengthening the already generous benefits package enjoyed by full-time workers and part-timers alike. "While conventional wisdom may tell us downsizing automatically drives a company's stock price higher and increases productivity, it actually doesn't," said CEO Kip Tindell. "Layoffs take a huge, lasting toll on morale and productivity in the work place. Laying off people is not the best way -- it's the easy way."

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