Unless I'm missing something, like a few extra pages of content, this article doesn't say anything about how it feels to be canned before Christmas, other than to suggest that "Degraded and bestial" as 'perhaps an appropriate description'.
What a pointless article.
I realize it sucks to loose a job, but would anyone rather be let go after Christmas ? With all the holiday debt over your head ? In my experience many companies staff up in the new year making a early year layoff much worse.
I know this is crazy talk; but maybe don't go into debt for Christmas? It happens every year, at the same time. You can plan for it. Open a holiday "club" account at your bank and put $50 or $100 in every month.
Personally I'd rather be notified sooner - it's fine saying "let them know before they build up holiday debt", but I'm sure that, by now, many of them would have already bought the presents, booked the holiday, whatever it is they would be spending money on.
Many people are finished--or at least a good way through--Christmas shopping. Thanksgiving time would probably have been better; hopefully these folks will be able to return some of the gifts they've purchased, if that's something they need to do.
It sucks to be laid off at anytime, let alone at the end of the year (not because of Christmas). This is the worst time of the year to be looking for a job. I hope they got a decent compensation package to make it through the start of next year.
Yeah, the cutesy corporate bullshit language doesn't really work in situations like this. And then on top of that, an unfortunate literary coincidence made it even worse.
That is nothing like cutesy corporate bullshit; nobody got downsized, no fuzzy misleading terms were used, no synergy was promoted and no next-generation vortals were collaboratively facilitated.
Follow the link to the full text, it's a very clear, straightforward and solid memo.