I was chatting to  Wendy at my gym this morning about employers of all things. She told me about a friend of hers who’d  worked at a well-branded bank for 36 years and who, along with 20 others, had been laid off. This was welcome news to the friend who was nearing retirement and who now had a severance package. What she couldn’t believe is that all twenty employees were given their notice over the phone. Nice! She felt after 36 years she deserved more respect. Now one of the last memories of her employer is "they couldn’t be bothered’.

This is the kind of story that gets shared. It’s the kind of story that chips away at the integrity of an employer brand. Is it so hard to do the right thing and show some respect? Does this bank figure these people are going anyway so they don’t have to be the good employer any more? How shortsighted. They still represent the brand. They’re probably customers too. And what a missed opportunity to reinforce the kind of company you are to your existing employees and those who are considering joining you. Just imagine the mileage if everyone witnessed their employer time and time again showing respect to those who have served but who are now laid off. It might have been a way different story I would have heard this morning.