Northwest advised workers to see treasure in trash | Reuters.com
Here is an incredibly sad example of a company (or someone in the company) not having “respect for employees.”
Northwest sent a “So You've Been Laid Off” guidebook with “helpful” cost saving tips:
The four-page booklet, “Preparing for a Financial Setback” contained suggestions such as shopping in thrift stores, taking “a date for a walk along the beach or in the woods” and not being “shy about pulling something you like out of the trash.”
I know that some airlines (maybe Northwest included) are working on lean initiatives. I wonder how much they are still relying on traditional layoff cost-cutting instead of eliminating waste and allowing them to keep employees there for productive uses? Planes are full, so I'm guessing they are going the layoff route.
Update: Actual documents on The Smoking Gun website (some corporate firewalls might block this, although it generally should be considered safe for work)
Please scroll down (or click) to post a comment. Connect with me on LinkedIn.
Let’s work together to build a culture of continuous improvement and psychological safety. If you're a leader looking to create lasting change—not just projects—I help organizations:
- Engage people at all levels in sustainable improvement
- Shift from fear of mistakes to learning from them
- Apply Lean thinking in practical, people-centered ways
Interested in coaching or a keynote talk? Let’s start a conversation.