Panasonic Orders 10,000 Employees To Buy Panasonic Gadgets

In addition to cutting 15,000 jobs, Panasonic's all but ordering another 10,000 employees who didn't get axed to buy Panasonic electronics.

Surprisingly, this isn't the first time that Panasonic all but forced its employees to buy company goods. It did the same in 2002, during the last down-economy.

Higher-level managers need to purchase 200,000 yen ($2,200) worth of stuff, whereas mid-level managers will make do with 100,000 yen ($1,100). This may seem awful at first, but being forced to buy gadgets is kinda awesome. "Sorry honey, we really DO need this 65-inch Plasma. Do you want me to get fired, or do you want our son's teeth to be straight. PICK ONE!"