Fired Via Instant Message

JThaddeus writes "Yahoo! news reports that South Korea's third-largest credit card issuer, KEB Credit Service, fired 161 people--a quarter of its workforce--via mobile phone text messages. Hey, at least they got told, right? Afterall, they could have been like Milton."

Comments

The Milton Solution

[Anonymous Coward]

"...they took ... my ... my Swingline ... and then, they texted me a pink slip ... going to burn the place to the ground ... this is, yes, this is the final straw"

Wouldn't it be cheaper

[dysprosia]

Wouldn't it be cheaper just to tell these people quickly in person? Considering the cost of a text message in some places...

Re:Wouldn't it be cheaper

[Futaba-chan]

They were all out on strike (and apparently, firing striking workers isn't illegal there), so there was no way to tell them in person.

Re:Wouldn't it be cheaper

[geekster]

From the article: "The firm said it had no method for contacting striking staff other than using the short message service (SMS)."

Re:Wouldn't it be cheaper

[Penguinshit]

That's why I attempted to qualify my statement with "For all their problems...". And I was merely responding to the AC's cold attitude towards striking workers.

However, in this case, the company was going to go under anyway so these folks were screwed no matter what.

A good example of your point in current practice is the upcoming expiration of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement. The NHLPA (the players' union) is refusing to even discuss a salary cap, even in the face of an independent analysis of the NHL finances. I really think the NHLPA should reassess their position because a two-year work stoppage (as they are advising the players) would pretty much kill the NHL. Only us hard-core fans would be left (and I'd seriously look at where else I could spend my sports-viewing dollars).

Re:Wouldn't it be cheaper

[Anonymous Coward]

Come on. Registered mail costs about USD 7 here. One would assume that it's at most 2-3 times that much in Korea. Call it USD 20. For 161 people that comes to...USD 3220. That's not exactly unreasonable considering that companies which are winding down their operations typically spend anywhere from a few thousand to a few million on legal fees associated with the process. It seems a small price to pay for meeting one's obligations in a dignified manner.

Not to mention the fact that this company isn't winding down its operations at all.

Now, to be fair, if I go on strike I would feel the company totally justified in letting me go after three days for job abandonment (in California, job abandonment is defined as failure to report in for three consecutive days without leave), so a notice of any kind to striking workers seems entirely unnecessary. But contracts and foreign law probably place entirely different requirements on this particular circumstance.

Re:Wouldn't it be cheaper

[jadavis]

It is much better for these low-wage companies to go out of business than to have them pay something very low.

What's wrong with hiring a kid to help build a fence on a weekend and paying them little? The kid has few responsibilities, and isn't accomplishing very much. He'd also be happy to get the money.

What's wrong with hiring a highschool student to do low-wage work as he lives with his parents? $4.00 an hour might pay for all the gas & food he needs.

The thing about minimum wage is that you're assuming that it's a career position, when in truth it's often a passing job on the way to bigger and better things. It's not good when young people have no opportunity to work a low-level job. How are they supposed to get experience and become more responsible?

Instead, young people can't find a low-responsibility, low-pay job. So, they just don't work. Then, when they're expected to be independent, they have no job experience at all, they just have a High School degree, which is worth about as much as the paper it's printed on (as far as representing knowledge and responsibility).

Re:Wouldn't it be cheaper

[FLEB]

Without a union supporting otherwise interchangable and easily-screwable workers, the company would have nothing to make amends *about*, since their dismally low wages would be "market wages" as usual.

No union:

Company lowers wages, but employees can't quit (can't afford to move, find a new job, etc.). Employers can keep cutting wages and benefits to a "barely living" wage. With lower labor costs, the company can cut retail price, maintain rising profits, and gain from both ends. To compete, other companies must follow suit. Overall market wages go down. Nobody's wages are below "market", but "market" sucks.

With union:

Company tries to lower wages. Union responds, stops work. Company is forced to negotiate, and keep wages high. Even non-union workers benifit, since the market retail and market wages are higher, and there is competition on a decent-wage playing field.

This works, of course, until someone finds a supply of non-union labor and finds it's easier to import, but... well... that's free trade.

hmm

[Christoff84]

Well at least they saved a tree or two worth of pink slips. Although on Monday there are going to be a few pissed off people that had their phones off all weekend.

GOOD NEWS!

[jonfromspace]

You Are Fired!

Sucks to be Corben Dallas!

It's what they had...

[LostCluster]

This really wasn't PC instant messages but SMS text messages, which they use over there a whole lot more than we ever do. Since these workers were on strike, they couldn't very well be told at the office anyway.

heh

[Anonymous Coward]

The message sent was actually "SRY WE DNT ND U NEMRE KTHX BAI THX 4 WRK HRE".

And the employees were left wondering...

[PerlPo8]

Where's that middle finger emoticon again?

Re:And the employees were left wondering...

[Cliffy03]

"There is no emoticon to describe what I am feeling!"

This happened before in the UK

[cjellibebi]

In the UK where text-messages (SMS's) are old-hat, this has happened previously. See these articles on BBC news:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2949578.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2043610 .stm

Re:The message was...

[WorkEmail]

We R Sry, but U R Fired. gtg, TTYL.

lmao.

Before you lose it...

[juuri]

... understand that Korea is a very different culture when it comes to cell phones and things like SMS than the USA. SMS usage is waaaaaaaay more common with everyone and people use SMS more frequently as it is much cheaper than actually talking on the phone.

My girlfriend who is Korean can friggen enter SMS messages by using the keypad faster than I can write them with a stylus on my p800; it is both awesome and scary at the same time.

Re:Before you lose it...

[WorkEmail]

Very true, in places in Europe most often Texting is so much cheaper than voice communication, so people become very fast at it. Becoming efficient with the T9 feature on phones is very important. I can send quick messages while I drive without even looking at my phone. Different phones have different methods of how you compose, read and send messages. Most new model phones come with T9(R) Predictive Text - when you start entering a word, you only have to press the key once for each letter and the phone will anticipate what word you are typing. T9(R) Predictive Text provides: Easy and fast text entry - just one key press per letter Nearly twice as fast as "multi-tap" text entry Ability to add custom words to your T9 dictionary Full punctuation and symbol capabilities Available in all major languages

Re:Before you lose it...

[Phroggy]

My girlfriend who is Korean can friggen enter SMS messages by using the keypad faster than I can write them with a stylus on my p800; it is both awesome and scary at the same time.

I remember hearing a comment about the effects of using SMS so much in Britain and Japan; someone said teenagers are so used to using their thumb on their phone that the thumb has become their dominant digit, and they use it for things like ringing doorbells etc.

Re:Before you lose it...

[MurphyZero]

Is that why New Yorkers use their middle finger to ring doorbells?

RTFA

[Brian Dennehy]

South Korea's third-largest credit card issuer fired a quarter of its workforce via mobile phone text messages on Friday, after negotiations with striking unionized workers broke down.

The firm said it had no method for contacting striking staff other than using the short message service (SMS).

I suppose, to them, it would be no different than calling them all up directly, other than the fact that that would take too long (plus, you'd have to put up with them complaining about getting fired, etc.).

McFly -- READ MY FAX!

[holt_rpi]

And who can forget the immortal words of Iko 'Jitz' Fujitsu: "Read my fax!"

Well, at least they didn't get it ALL wrong in Back to the Future II... the message was just delivered on cell phones instead of paper.

Where's my pizza rehydrator and hoverboard, anyway?

teh msg

[pokka]

hi how r u? u gtg
u hv 4hr 2 get ur
stf out of ur dsk
hv a gr8 day cya

Fired OR?

[Marvelicious]

I'm trying to figure out which is worse: getting fired by IM or getting dumped by IM.

I do have to hand it to then for sheer cold-blooded brutality. The little devil guy that pops up over my right shoulder really got a kick out of this one!

Re:Fired OR?

[Marvelicious' Girl]

I didn't want it to come to this, but... I'm breaking up with you, K?

It just wasn't working out; I just couldn't compete with this stupid, ugly green website.

I want my car back, too.

Don't bother trying to come crawling back, we're through.

Like this way of breaking up with you? It's Toni's idea. Savor the sweet, sweet irony.

Obligatory

[crawdaddy]

In A.D. 2004

KEB was firing

Worker: What happen?

Cellphone: Somebody set up us the IM.

AIM: We get message.

Worker: What!

AIM: Main screen turn on.

Worker: It's you!!

HR: How are you gentlemen!!

HR: All your jobs are belong to us!

Huh?

[jpellino]

"The firm said it had no method for contacting striking staff other than using the short message service (SMS)."

Um, they had the cell phone number needed to send the sms - buck up and call them.

So...

[RoadkillBunny]

...if I don't have a mobile phone, I wouldn't get fired?

Instant Message != Text Message

[Aphrika]

Here in the UK, an instant message would be sent via AIM or MS Messenger. Phone to phone messaging is called text messaging. It's real name is SMS - simple message services - but no-one calls it that anymore.

I'd be much more impressed if someone was fired via an instant message:

Bob has signed in
Bob says: Morning Alex
Alex says: Hi Bob
Bob says: You're fired.
Bob has left the conversation

Perhaps that explains the "You're Fired!" spam...

[Ron Bennett]

Sure others received similar spam awhile back titled "You're Fired". While I realize SMS is different, and more secure...I still wonder about the security...

What's to stop some spoofer/hacker/etc from sending out bogus, legit looking "You're Fired!" SMS - say from a stolen/borrowed/hacked cellphone or computer, etc of the company.

Even if it later is revealed the "You're Fired!" SMS were bogus, the damage is already done...

Ron

Re:"You've Got Vacation!"

[Anonymous Coward]

Back when I was a software contractor (where I could and would get fired at the drop of a hat), I used to call it "instant vacation." I also used to ask my boss everyday: "am I fired yet?"

But now that I'm retired, yeah, that I call "sweet permanent vacation." Heh.

Re:It's not the first time this has happened

[madpierre]

I remember this. The sacked staff went on a looting spree of their
offices as I recall. It was hillarious seeng all these middle class
lawyer types lugging chairs and stuff out of the building.

The company director did a runner to Spain I think. :D

Legal strength ?

[lkratz]

I don't know what are the job laws in South-Korea. But in most of European countries, theses SMS have probably no legal binding between employer and employees. The company still have to send some kind of registered letter "snail mail". Even if people are in strike and difficult to reach, I see no company advantage to send SMS to warn employees they are fired, they still need to send letters. And there effective dismissal starts when they receive there registered letter.

There's also an issue about SMS authentication, do you think these 161 recipients know their HR manager GSM number and are able to verify the author of the message ? Could be anyone sending you that message : "you are fired. signed J.M. KEB Credit Service HR Manager"

Happened in the UK too last year

[Alan Cox]

Admittedly since the company were "personal injury lawyers" nobody could decide whether to feel outraged over the method used or happy that the people lost their jobs...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2949578.stm

Re:Happened in the UK too last year

[AardvarkOfFnords]

One of the branches (Birmingham) was in the same building as the one I work in. Many (all?) of the people were already owed wages, and guessed something was happening. The offices were looted for laptops etc.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/29 52194.stm

Re:Happened in the UK too last year

[ozric99]

My favourite quote from that piece:

Speaking from his 3m mansion in North Rode, Cheshire, he said: "I'm absolutely devastated"

Why does slashdot not recognise Pound signs? Sigh...

Instant??? What's instant about an SMS?

[canavan]

I'm really wondering who had the audacity of naming Short Messages "instant messages" - there's nothing instant about them at all. They can (and really do) take up to 7 days to get delivered, even if one's phone has good reception for almost all the time.

Re:The message was...

[StuWho]

All your wages are belong to us

Just running an errand...

[mac os ken]

thx 4 teh msg
i jst at teh
GUNS n AMMO
STOR i am stndin
in lobby now l8tr

Re:The message was...

[NanoGator]

Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm filling out an expense report for the $0.10 charge on my phone bill for recieving that message.

Worse ways of getting fired...

[identity0]

At least they weren't fired in a Slashdot post. Other humiliating geek ways of being fired:

Your employer uploads pinkslip.txt to the CVS tree of the free software project you've been spending all your time on.

Your boss cracks your home machine and leaves the message "J00 ar3 n07 1337. F10R3D!!!!11!1!"

Boss takes you to a fancy Indian restaurant. When the waiter comes, he says "Yes, we're ready to order - by the way, Bob, Mahel here will be replacing you in two days."

They FedEx you a cell phone while you work, a la the Matrix. It rings, and when you answer, a mysterious deep voice tells you, "Look at the hall by the elevator. They're coming for you, Neo". You look, and you see a group of HR people coming to fire your sorry ass, being directed towards your cubicle. Being a geek, you immediately re-enact the scene where the agents(HR people) are trying to hunt Neo(you) while he talks to Morpheus(the mysterious stranger).

You think, "This is it. The thing I have been waiting for all my life - confirmation that I AM the One! Haha, I'm not a loser, suckers!" However all your hopes come crashing to an end when the guy on the phone says "Oh what the hell. You're fired anyway whether they find you or not. I've been leading you on for my own amusement, but now it's gotten boring. Clever hack, eh? btw, you're not The One, you'll never touch Trinity, and you're still just a loser without a job." In desperation you fling yourself out the 10th-floor window to confirm you have super powers or die trying. You die trying. However you prove the hacker wrong on one point when you DO touch Carrie-Anne Moss at the last moment of your life, crushing her to death between you and her motorcycle.

sorry

[moondo]

well, i must apologize... i never knew this would become such a big thing.

guys guys guys...

the boss(mr. kim) was on his lunch break, but he left his cellphone on the desk. i was wondering what could be a practical joke to play on my fellow colleagues and, well, ended sending these you've been fired messages. sorry if i scared the fuckin shit out of you.

i'll see you on monday at work.

R:"Y'v Gt Vctn!"

[H4x0r Jim Duggan]

but at least you'd get formal(/angry/justified) talks or letters. In South Korea, 161 workers just recieved:

ur frd. No jb 4u
n e mor. no $ in
bnk, cnt get cred,
cnt mk chex. Thnx,
sorry, Gd luck!!!!
-----
This SMS service
is provided by KEB
Credit Service