Comments on: You’ve got mail … and you’re fired

By: Top 10 HR Blunders of 2008 | HRBlunders.com | The worst mistakes, catastrophes, and near-misses

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:21:36 +0000

[...] You’ve got mail … and you’re fired. Media agency Carat was facing layoffs. Its HR director prepared an e-mail with a list of employees [...]

By: Sally

Sally — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:42:56 +0000

We had a new president and were undergoing an office restructure. A couple of positions were being eliminated and I was writing up a severance agreement for the first employee being let go. I intended to email the letter to a manager for proofing but accidentally emailed it to the employee being terminated. What a way to find out you are being let go…I still have nightmares about that day.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:59:30 +0000

I was working for a small high-tech startup firm in 2001 when everyone was rushed into the largest conference room one morning. The HR manager was in a near panic making sure everyone got there. Then the marketing manager – not the CEO or HR manager – made the following statement: “If you are in this room, then you still have a job.” It was appalling as everyone looked around and began noting who was absent. Turns out it was 20 people, or about 20% of the company, who were being let go, all from the same group.

In addition, the entire business plan of the company changed course at that point. Fourteen months later, I was let go too, along with 21 others, but I must say the way they handled the second layoff was better than the first. The VP who did the deed actually had tears in his eyes as he spoke, and I at least knew this wasn’t a trivial decision for the business to make. I didn’t enjoy being let go, but I felt like they handled it with some care, anyway.

By: Judy Nelson

Judy Nelson — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:17:50 +0000

Good Point Dino – one that I actually use myself routinely no matter the type of email. I, myself, was part of a large “downsizing” – over 100 people (an entire division was being closed) were let go. I have to say that the actual downsizing process was handled very professionally. We all knew (for months) that this would be happening. Each person met with HR to get information about their severance package etc. I had been with the company for 28 years so I had an excellent package. The company had an Unemployment Rep come in and explain the process so that we were all ready to apply once our last day came. The company also provided for a two day training about how to write/update a resume and interviewing techniques. I felt that they handled this in the best way they could for something that was quite emotional for many of us. Most of the people let go had been with the company as long as myself – some even longer.

The area where they lacked sensitivity was in their refusal to even consider transferring any of us to another division – this company is huge. They held a job fair and all anyone heard was that either we weren’t quite the right fit or that there were no openings in any of the places we would “fit”. Every one of us felt this was a joke – one in poor taste.

It seems from the other comments that the people doing the laying off/firing were not trained properly to perform this task. It takes someone who can at least be empathetic and kind when delivering the bad news. And even though I think that I posses those qualities, I’m happy that I don’t have to perform that task!

By: Dee

Dee — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:03:11 +0000

I think making the computer unavilable is a old tactic. It also happened to me one afternoon when the CEO’s wife (who was a “play” employee) decided she wanted me gone. It was a small computer software company. I had not been there long as the HR Manager. My goals and objectives were driven by THREE different individuals at first I reported to thte VP of Sales, then the Accountant and the CEOs wife had a “play” position that she came to do on days when she was not busy (nightmare). Even to this day, it is not clear as to why I was released.

Anyway, if your computer is “taken down” and others are working that MAY be a sign we are being “LET GO”.

By: Mason

Mason — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:57:29 +0000

I had a similar situation happen to me. I knew they were thinking of downsizing and I was sure they were thinking of downsizing me because I was the only African American left in the whole company and my title was Recruitment Supervisor and you don’t need a recruiter if you aren’t hiring. I came to work and I couldn’t log on. I always arrived before my boss came in and this was the case that day as well. She came in shortly after I arrived and told me in her office that she had to let me go and they were giving me 8 weeks severance but I couldn’t get it unless I ageed to sign a waiver saying I wouldn’t sue them or retaliate in any way. They had another position they were going to fill….with a friend of mine(white person)…and she hadn’t started yet. I asked about that position since my position was being eliminated and I was told that it wouldn’t be a good idea, because I would have to work with Tracy….a known racist. So in answer to Victoria’s question, yes it does happen just that way. And it doesn’t have to do with mass layoffs.

By: Brandon B

Brandon B — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:44:44 +0000

Long before the electronic age the HR Department had the HR Assistant photo copy the layoff list to be distributed to the management team. Unfortunately she left the original list on the copier. It was found by an employee that was on the list who made several copies and handed them out before walking out the door. The HR Assistant took an early retirement.

At the same company a few years later they decided to call all the employees into a conference room (about 200 employees). They said if your name was called you were to return to work. If you name was not called you were being downsized and were to remain in the room to get further instructions. They mixed up the list and called the wrong names. My last name back then started with a V – it was a long wait to find out that I was, and then was NOT being downsized.

I guess that even before the big swing to the electronic age with computers on every desk there were major blunders as well.

By: Virginia

Virginia — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:20:22 +0000

Our Manager was working offsite and processing paperwork to layoff an employee. Only thing is when it came time to print it out he forgot to check where his printer was set too. It ended up printing in our office and the employee who was being let go happened to be at the printer when it came out. Of course the employee came and asked me if I new anything about it and I had to say no, but quickly called my boss to tell him what just happened.

By: Angel M

Angel M — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:20:01 +0000

Like Victoria, I showed up to work on a Monday, and could not login. I checked around ans since everyone was working, I knew it was just me. So I did some filing and phone calls, since our IT guy was also the CEO. Two hours later I found out the reason I could not login was that I was fired.

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:37:54 +0000

I once had a manager and one of his employees with the same first name and their last names started with the same letter. The manager was at a facility in another state than I work, so our main means of communication was by phone or email. I was sending the manager a final draft of a termination severance package for his employee, but I hit the wrong last name in the address book and sent it directly to the employee. It was an error that was cast up to me and held against me at review time. Double and triple check who an email is sent to.