Slashdot Mirror
The Art of The Farewell Email
With so many people losing their jobs, the farewell email, letting colleagues and contacts know where you are moving and how you can be reached, has become common. Writing a really good one, whether it be funny, sad or just plain mad is an art form. Chris Kula, a receptionist at a New York engineering firm, wrote: "For nearly as long as I've worked here, I've hoped that I might one day leave this company. And now that this dream has become a reality, please know that I could not have reached this goal without your unending lack of support." In May, lawyer Shinyung Oh was let go from the San Francisco branch of the Paul Hastings law firm six days after losing a baby. "If this response seems particularly emotional," she wrote to the partners, "perhaps an associate's emotional vulnerability after a recent miscarriage is a factor you should consider the next time you fire or lay someone off. It shows startlingly poor judgment and management skills — and cowardice — on your parts." Let's hear the best and worst goodbye emails you've seen.
About two years ago, somebody got fired from my company. He happened to be in training for managment at the time, and was reading a book he'd bought for himself. Upon learning he was about to lose his job, he sent out an email containing the first chapter of the book, grabbed the home addresses of all the managers in the building, and shipped copies of the book to each.
The email also contained commentary on how the managment might benefit from a little reading.
Here at Slashdot we nailed this whole "email" thing back in the 90's.
Or, early 80s for some of us!
Put my fist through my alarm clock with its ding-dong death inside my ear. - The Blackjacks.