Ramping up the 'productivity metrics' talk

It’s getting exhausting. Ever since the last quarterly earnings call, the mid-level managers have been obsessed with logging every single minute of our output. Suddenly, projects that were fine last month now require three layers of reporting and constant justification. It feels like they are building a paper trail to justify cutting people who aren't 'high performers' by their arbitrary new standards. I’m seeing teams that have been profitable for years suddenly being put under a microscope for efficiency KPIs that don’t even reflect our actual workload. It’s obviously a tactic to get people to quit voluntarily or to have a reason to initiate layoffs without calling them layoffs. If you’re feeling the micromanagement tightening up, trust your gut. They aren't doing this because they want to 'optimize workflows'; they’re doing it because they’re looking for excuses to trim the headcount without triggering a massive PR issue. Anyone else having their managers suddenly act like they’re the productivity police?