Airline Tells Laid-Off Workers to Pick Garbage

Regularly, examples of completely boneheaded business decisions arise and there is no way to defend what management is doing. This is one of those cases.

From Bloomberg.com:

Northwest Airlines Corp. is apologizing to workers offended by company suggestions on how to save money, including buying jewelry at pawnshops, getting auto parts at junkyards and taking shorter showers.

The list, entitled "101 Ways to Save Money," was part of a booklet for employees being laid off as bankrupt Northwest reorganizes. The Eagan, Minnesota-based carrier gave out 60 of the booklets before it began getting complaints, and it cut the list from remaining copies, spokesman Roman Blahoski said today.

So, a person loses his job and gets told to go to pawnshops, junkyards and to take shorter showers. Kind of insulting, don't you think? Ah, but there's more.

Suggestions on the money-saving idea list included giving homemade cards and gifts, asking doctors for prescription-drug samples, borrowing a dress for "a big night out" and giving children hand-me-down toys and clothes. "Don't be shy about pulling something you like out of the trash," the list said.

What?

Pick something out of the trash! Northwest is telling its laid-off workers to pick through garbage! I don't know whether directions to the dump are included with the list but I wouldn't be surprised.

Sheesh!

Who in the world is running this outfit? And, is it any wonder that the company is in bankruptcy? It's obvious that Northwest Airlines is being run by absolute jello-heads who have insulted and demeaned their most valuable resource, the workforce.

Some people should be fired.

Tipped by Charley Nestor.

Companion post at In The Bullpen.