Made redundant by SMS

**oracleslave** · 9 June 2009, 10:00

Originally posted by Mich the Tester View Post

Bloody disgusting. I am, however, always amazed that people actually choose to work for such companies.

I always ask in the interview if I am likely to be canned by sms as it's a deal-breaker for me.

**cailin maith** · 9 June 2009, 10:00

Originally posted by Mich the Tester View Post

A chap at the rugby club works for one of the big insultancy companies here in Holland. Yesterday 2000 people received instructions to go home and wait for a phone call to find out whether they’d be among the 700 people to be made redundant. At 19h he received an SMS telling him he was fired.

Is this what permiedoom has come to? What kind of lowlife belly crawling scum sacks people by SMS? What happened to people who have the backbone to tell someone to their face that they’ve lost their job? OK, so telling 700 people they’re fired might be a logistical issue, but if you have 70 managerial staff they could each tell 10 people in a decent and dignified fashion. A bit of basic decency please.

Bloody disgusting. I am, however, always amazed that people actually choose to work for such companies.

Happened in Manchester a few years ago too - with one of the insurance companies IIRC... shocking!

**minestrone** · 9 June 2009, 10:01

They did that here last year in some big place, can't remember where though.

**Mich the Tester** · 9 June 2009, 10:02

Originally posted by cailin maith View Post

Happened in Manchester a few years ago too - with one of the insurance companies IIRC... shocking!

Originally posted by minestrone View Post

They did that here last year in some big place, can't remember where though.

I suppose the reasoning now is 'well everyone else is doing it so we can too'.
Management, leadership, my

**suityou01** · 9 June 2009, 10:05

Originally posted by Mich the Tester View Post

A chap at the rugby club works for one of the big insultancy companies here in Holland. Yesterday 2000 people received instructions to go home and wait for a phone call to find out whether they’d be among the 700 people to be made redundant. At 19h he received an SMS telling him he was fired.

Is this what permiedoom has come to? What kind of lowlife belly crawling scum sacks people by SMS? What happened to people who have the backbone to tell someone to their face that they’ve lost their job? OK, so telling 700 people they’re fired might be a logistical issue, but if you have 70 managerial staff they could each tell 10 people in a decent and dignified fashion. A bit of basic decency please.

Bloody disgusting. I am, however, always amazed that people actually choose to work for such companies.

It is disgusting. My experiences of permies and managers has plumbed new depths of late. The other contractors here are bound by the unwritten code of conduct we contractors all subscribe to.

Modern management is more akin to simple administrative duties. There is no backbone any more, and I don't expect it tbh. The contempt here shown to your friend is truly shocking. I guess you have to try and believe in Karma, and hope that your friend gets a new better paid gig, and the scumbags that did this to him get their just deserts in due course.

**Churchill** · 9 June 2009, 10:08

There is a precedent - 2003

"The UK's largest personal injury claims firm, Accident Group, has sacked 2,400 people - many by text message - after its parent company Amulet Group announced on Friday that it would go into administration. Staff with company mobile phones received a series of text messages, warning them that salaries would not be paid. Manchester-based Amulet Group said its subsidiary had to cease trading because it could not sustain its "continual battles with the insurance industry" and after "the sudden failure of a banking partner to support the company"."

**Alf W** · 9 June 2009, 10:10

Originally posted by cailin maith View Post

Happened in Manchester a few years ago too - with one of the insurance companies IIRC... shocking!

The Accident Group. All the staff got shafted whilst the former Chief Exec had skimmed all the cash off and buggered off to Spain. A couple of years later a tree jumped out in front of his car and killed him so it shows some sort of natural justice exists in this world.

**Sockpuppet** · 9 June 2009, 10:11

My dad got made redundant by fax once.

The bloke that did it was declared in solvent a while later.

**Churchill** · 9 June 2009, 10:12

Originally posted by Alf W View Post

The Accident Group. All the staff got shafted whilst the former Chief Exec had skimmed all the cash off and buggered off to Spain. A couple of years later a tree jumped out in front of his car and killed him so it shows some sort of natural justice exists in this world.

Is there an echo in this cave?

Made redundant by SMS