Firing "lazy non-performers" is easy, you just follow the steps.

1) warning about performance, in written form with someone present 2) second warning 3) fired.

The American way where a boss can just come in and say "you're fired, gather your things and security will escort you out" will never fly here.

The process is there to make sure the reason for firing is explicitly stated and understood by both sides. It also gives some safeguards that just a personality conflict between people can't be used to fire someone, there has to be a proper reason beyond "I don't like your face"

Companies can also fire people when they hit a downturn, but there's a catch. If they claim it's for "economic reasons" (there's a specific turn of phrase they need to use here that doesn't translate) they then need to primarily re-hire the people who they fired if they start hiring for the same positions again.