Comments on: You’re fired. By email. With euphemisms.

By: Calladus

Calladus — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:54:10 +0000

I heard, “Released back into the Talent Pool”. It makes the employee sound like a Trout.

By: Bad Language / Ten laws for better email

Bad Language / Ten laws for better email — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 07:34:38 +0000

[...] to solve problems, not create them. Don’t fire people by email. Unlike Radio Shack - see previous post. I try to avoid dealing with money matters by email. Don’t drunk-mail. Don’t email when [...]

By: Roy Jacobsen

Roy Jacobsen — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 20:28:56 +0000

A few months ago, I wrote an article about how to deliver bad news. I wish I had known about this Radio Shack story as an illustration of HOW NOT TO DO IT!

(Reminds me of a bad joke from my childhood:
“What model car is that?”
“That there isn’t a model; it’s an ‘orrible example.”)

Here are a few more of the euphemisms I listed in the article:

“Companies undergo downsizing, rightsizing, realignment, or reengineering, and so they perform a headcount adjustment or RIF (reduction in force). Employees learn that their services are no longer required, that they are non-essential, and that they’ve been laid off, made redundant, let go, furloughed, separated, outplaced, eased out, or unassigned. Older workers often find that they’ve been given the golden handshake, early retirement, early out, or buyout.”

I’ll have to add “work force reduction notification” to my list.

[Shameless self-promotion alert!] For what it’s worth, my article is here: http://rmjacobsen.squarespace.com/articles/2006/2/25/delivering-bad-news.html

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 11:55:35 +0000

Or should I have said we get the RIF riff!

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 11:54:49 +0000

We get the ‘reduction in force’ or RIF blether.

By: Garry

Garry — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 10:04:13 +0000

I’ve been displaced before, because being made redundant was too ‘insensitive and demeaning’.

I’d need to track down the source, but I also know of one clothing company that has sacked staff by text message.

By: Owen Lystrup

Owen Lystrup — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 07:23:12 +0000

I think some people would read this and ask, “Was I just fired?”

Boo Radio Shack. It’s just reminded me why I don’t shop there.