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)
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Mark Graban
Mark Graban is an internationally-recognized consultant, author, and professional speaker who has worked in healthcare, manufacturing, and startups. He is author of the Shingo Award-winning books Lean Hospitals and Healthcare Kaizen, as well as The Executive Guide to Healthcare Kaizen. His most recent book is the anthology Practicing Lean that benefits the Louise H. Batz Patient Safety Foundation, where Mark is a board member. Mark is also a Senior Advisor to the technology company KaiNexus. His latest book has been released as an "in-progress" book, titled Measures of Success.