Henri-Frédéric Amiel (1821–81), philosopher
The newest and most hideous method of letting go of employees is by e-mail, according to one of those self-serving company surveys, this one done for a communications company, The Marline Company.
Ten percent of U.S. employees say their company has used e-mail to fire or lay-off employees. I firmly believe there should be a law against such actions. Also, the employee should say he/she didn’t see it and continue to work.
This same survey also found that 5% of respondents had been the recipient of a humiliating e-mail that was copied to other individuals. This I believe should be a much higher figure or at least higher to make me feel better.
I once sent an e-mail stating that a certain so and so was an ass, but I ended up sending it to the ass. Guess who was the ass then? I immediately called him up and apologized. He was such an ass about it he didn’t even get mad.
I once sent wife an e-mail at work (we both worked there) asking why she didn’t invite me to spend the night at her place. She responded that I would need to wear a catcher’s mask and sleep with my shoes on. The second e-mail explained because her dogs would attack me while we slept, but the recipient didn’t get that e-mail, just the first one thinking we were into something kinky or weird. Wife attempted to track it down and delete it, but brought far more attention to it.
In any case, I try every hard to be like Dick Cheney and not put much in writing I don’t want used against me.
