I kid you not. Northwest Airlines hired an outside firm to create a booklet "Preparing for a Financial Setback" to help financially strapped employees who have endured massive pay cuts. Northwest is also planning on cutting more jobs.
One of the sections of the booklet included "101 ways to save money". For a time, the advice was posted on their website and about 50 employees received the booklet with the incredibly offensive advice.
'Northwest spokesman Roman Blahoski said some employees who received the handbook had taken issue with a couple of the items. "We agree that some of these suggestions and tips ... were a bit insensitive," Blahoski told Reuters.
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."
While this was reported on FoxNews.com on Tuesday, neither the StarTribune or the St.Paul Pioneer Press had any coverage of this bizarre story.
A couple of thoughts. If someone in Northwest's communication department approved this dribble, shouldn't they be accountable?
Oh, and its not a " bit insensitive" It's egregiously offensive.
How did such an offensive, outlandish, insensitive and idiotic idea get approved? Chances are, no one in the Northwest Communications area actually proofread the copy in the booklet before it was printed or put on their website. ( you won't find it there now) One can only assume that on a list of priorities, a booklet providing financial advice to employees who are facing lay offs just isn't high on a priority list of a communication department dealing with potential strikes, bankruptcy, and general unhappy customers.
Then there's the consultants who came up with the advice in the first place. The Reuters article said it was an outside firm. Just who is this firm and why would they include a recommendation to rummage through the trash? Is there another side to the story that we are just missing?
The employees of NWA deserve an apology from the Douglas Steenland, president and CEO of NWA.
In fact, he should have to spend a day dumpster diving.
You can't make this stuff up.
Oh, and the tag line for the photo is " So I went dumpster diving and all I got was this lousy lice."
Image Credit: Flickr member Thomask
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