How Companies Treat Workers

So one of my brothers works at a company related to one of the US auto companies. They do contract work. He's a CAD type designer. I think. He does technical stuff about which I am clueless. As you can imagine, it's not exactly a field full of job security. He's been out of work as long as a year, I think. But he's good at what he does and is usually held on to until the last possible lay off.

He called my dad this afternoon, needing to release some tension. As they were talking, company security was moving from desk to desk, informing people that they were being let go. Those let go were then allowed to clean out their desks before they were escorted from the property.

THIS is how we treat our workers, our employees? What a lousy way to lay someone off. What a lousy way to treat a human being. My brother is a very conscientious worker. He does his work and he does it well. He is this kind of guy who always focuses on doing the best job he can. I know this because I know my brother. He's smart, focused and a hard worker. Always has been. He doesn't deserve that kind of treatment. Nor does anyone else.

Would affording a small amount of dignity to employees be such a difficult act for employers to accomplish? Would it be a whole lot of skin off their collective million dollar parachute protected noses to speak privately with each individual as they let them go? Deliver a private letter to each of their desks? Gutless wonders.

And does the deed have to be done by security, branding those who are let go as possible criminals who might somehow rape and pillage the company on the way out? Or is it simply that the management of these companies doesn't have the nerve to fire people face to face? Again, gutless wonders.

Today, my brother was one of the lucky ones. He still has a job. His dignity? Maybe not so much.

Liz