shed vs get rid of

My humble opinion, they mean the same, though I would replace "get rid of" with lay off, for example.

Shed is also used about leaves.

In the context, they mean the same and both are rather flippant expressions for something serious, perhaps indicating contempt for those doing the shedding. More broadly, shed can be used in the context of losing rather than removing. So you can shed tears or blood, but you would probably not talk about getting rid of these things.

To shed means to discard something in a way that happens naturally.

Every year the snakes shed their skins.
My dog sheds a lot of hair.
Deer shed their antlers in the spring.

To get rid of is a deliberate act (throw away or give away), and usually having a negative connotation.

We had to get rid of a lot of things when we moved

Thank you all for your replies.

AlpheccaStarsTo shed means to discard something in a way that happens natur

The company is planning to shed about a quarter of its workforce.

The company wants to cut its expenses. One way to do this is to have fewer workers. Sometimes companies have more workers than they need to get the job done. So it will shed (lose) jobs.
It is a kindlier and gentler way to say "get rid of workers"

Thank you for your excellent explanation.