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Company Accidentally Fires Entire Staff Via Email

Posted by Unknown on from the now-intended-for-two dept.

redletterdave writes with an amusing tale of missent email. From the article: "On Friday, more than 1,300 employees of London-based Aviva Investors walked into their offices, strolled over to their desks, booted up their computers and checked their emails, only to learn the shocking news: They would be leaving the company. The email ordered them to hand over company property and security passes before leaving the building, and left the staff with one final line: 'I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and wish you all the best for the future. 'This email was sent to Aviva's worldwide staff of 1,300 people, with bases in the U.S., UK, France, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Finland and the Netherlands. And it was all one giant mistake: The email was intended for only one individual."

31 of 333 comments (clear)

  1. Wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It will now be two people leaving the company!

    1. Re:Wrong by Lohrno · · Score: 5, Funny

      Maybe ...Unless the guy they fired was in charge of sending out dismissals. This was his final (possibly intentional) mistake. :D

    2. Re:Wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Good, Let's start from you :D

    3. Re:Wrong by DarwinSurvivor · · Score: 5, Funny

      Man, to be a fly on the wall when HR told him to fire himself via e-mail.

    4. Re:Wrong by paiute · · Score: 5, Funny

      There are always unproductive employees.

      No lie. At my company, about half of the employees have below average productivity.

      --
      If Slashdot were chemistry it would look like this:Cadaverine
    5. Re:Wrong by newcastlejon · · Score: 5, Funny

      We apologise again for the fault in the email. Those responsible for sacking the person who has just been sacked have been sacked.

      --
      If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
    6. Re:Wrong by Nimloth · · Score: 5, Funny

      I hear they immediately sent out 1,299 apology emails.

    7. Re:Wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I hear they immediately sent out 1,299 apology emails.

      Well, they certainly tried to, but in an ironic twist, the apology email only went to the 1 person they were originally intending to fire.

    8. Re:Wrong by flatt · · Score: 4, Funny

      Morons who, in turn, send form letter emails firing all of the other morons. Where's the problem?

    9. Re:Wrong by Cylix · · Score: 5, Funny

      Dark Helmet: Careful you idiot! I said across her nose, not up it!
      Laser Gunner: Sorry sir! I'm doing my best!
      Dark Helmet: Who made that man a gunner?
      Major Asshole: I did sir. He's my cousin.
      Dark Helmet: Who is he?
      Colonel Sandurz: He's an asshole sir.
      Dark Helmet: I know that! What's his name?
      Colonel Sandurz: That is his name sir. Asshole, Major Asshole!
      Dark Helmet: And his cousin?
      Colonel Sandurz: He's an asshole too sir. Gunner's mate First Class Philip Asshole!
      Dark Helmet: How many asholes do we have on this ship, anyway?
      [Entire bridge crew stands up and raises a hand]
      Entire Bridge Crew: Yo!
      Dark Helmet: I knew it. I'm surrounded by assholes!
      [Dark Helmet pulls his face shield down]
      Dark Helmet: Keep firing, assholes!

      --
      "You should always go to other people's funerals; otherwise, they won't come to yours." -- Yogi Berra
    10. Re:Wrong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      At my company we employ one guy to sit around and do nothing. This means we can generally employ above average employees, with a commensurate increase in productivity.

    11. Re:Wrong by Bobtree · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think you mean 1,298.

    12. Re:Wrong by Sulphur · · Score: 4, Funny

      Man, to be a fly on the wall when HR told him to fire himself via e-mail.

      Then you can be fired from HR?

    13. Re:Wrong by The+Wild+Norseman · · Score: 5, Funny

      At my company we employ one guy to sit around and do nothing.

      We do too. We call him the CEO.

      Hold on a second, I just got an email; I'll be right back.

      --
      "A government is a body of people usually -- notably -- ungoverned." -Shepherd Book
    14. Re:Wrong by bheading · · Score: 2, Funny

      A møøse once bit my sister .. no realli! She was Karving her initials on the moose with the sharpened end of an interspace toothbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian movies: "The Hot Hands of an Oslo Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Molars of Horst Nordfink"...

    15. Re:Wrong by Nyder · · Score: 5, Funny

      People don't need an excuse to gripe, just an opportunity.

      God tell me about it? Give anyone a chance and they start bitching about the crap people do, it's so fucked up. Swear to god people just love to bitch about every fucking thing, no one can keep their stupid mouth shut.

      god damn bitchers...

      --
      Be seeing you...
  2. Tacky by the+eric+conspiracy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Those responsible should be sacked!

  3. I wonder by dakkon1024 · · Score: 5, Funny

    How many "How you really feel" comments went around during this time that people are going to now have to live with.

  4. Moral of the story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Never hire an employee named "allstaff".

  5. Re:Happiness by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    That would be the worst.

    First email: You're fired!

    Second email: Oops. It was all a mistake. Only one person was supposed to be fired.

    Third email: That person is you.

  6. Re:Didn't they put the person's name on it? by waynemcdougall · · Score: 5, Funny

    They did, but he had recently changed his name to Robert; staff; management; everyone; Tables

    --
    Recycle PCs and build a wireless community network www.hillsborough.org.nz
  7. Not the first time by bakes · · Score: 5, Funny

    This is not the first time that Alan 'Call me Al' Staff has caused this problem.

    --
    Ho! Haha! Guard! Turn! Parry! Dodge! Spin! Ha! Thrust!
  8. Re:Happiness by sjames · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was thinking first email: You're fired

    Second emaol: Can someone fix the email?

    Third email: Where is everyone? Can someone please fix the email?

  9. Re:Giant Mistake? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I accidentally the entire company

  10. Re:Happiness by houstonbofh · · Score: 5, Funny

    That would be the worst.

    First email: You're fired!

    Oh, yah? Well screw you all! I never liked this company and pissed in the coffee daily. And Mr. CEO, I am banging your wife.

    Second email: Oops. It was all a mistake. Only one person was supposed to be fired.

    Uh....

    Third email: That person is you.

    Damn...

  11. Re:Moral of the story by Just+Some+Guy · · Score: 5, Funny

    I worked for a company whose very first paying customer was named Richard Test. Poor Mr. Test had his account deleted by well-meaning and fastidious secretaries several times. (We'd have just renumbered his account if that ID wasn't used in a zillion other systems.)

    --
    Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
  12. Re:Giant Mistake? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    You accidentally what?

  13. Re:Giant Mistake? by TWX · · Score: 5, Funny

    The ENTIRE COMPANY!

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  14. Epic trolling moment by Arancaytar · · Score: 1, Funny

    "Haha! You're fired!"

    *sadface*

    "Oh, sorry, we sent that email to everyone by mistake."

    - :D

    "Whoops, never mind, you're the one employee we actually intended to fire."

    - ...

  15. The second snafu... by Darinbob · · Score: 3, Funny

    The second snafu is when 500 of those people did a Reply-All saying "sod off wankers!"

  16. Re:Giant Mistake? by azalin · · Score: 5, Funny

    I must watch some on Youtube once my boss have left the building!

    *bling* "You got mail!"