"That’s not balance, it’s wasted years."
It's only wasted if there were better (realistic) options. For many people, they don't.
They should be forced out then. Your inability to improve doesn't justify being a parasitic drain on the org's productivity.
Also consider the insecurity that our system creates for people. Losing a job can snowball into something much larger. There goes your healthcare, mortgage payment, retirement contributions, ability to find another job (depending on the current state of the market), etc.