For a second there I thought I was still asleep and dreaming, but even after I shook myself, there I was yesterday morning, sitting with my coffee looking at the opening sentence of the lead story in the Washington Post Business section.
Say what?
You say you want me to come in on a holiday weekend, when I'm off, and work not for double-time pay, not even for my regular hourly wage, but for free?
And you say you haven't been smoking anything?
I must say, this takes the cake in terms of sticking your corporate stiletto heel right in the figurative eye socket of your workforce, then grinding down as hard as you can.
More from the article:
- Yesterday the airline sought even more employees to work for free between December 30 and January 3.
"This is a volunteer program," the airline said in an e-mail to management and office staff.
"You will not be paid if this is on your day(s) off."
"It promises to be a rewarding opportunity to learn more about the operation of our airline and come face to face with our customers."
Yeah - and jumping off a tall building is a good way to see what free-fall feels like.
I've got news for you: if those customers are among the many thousands whose flights were canceled last weekend by US Airways, and the additional thousands whose bags never arrived with them (at one point more than 10,000 misplaced bags had accumulated), then I don't want to be anywhere near a US Airways counter this weekend.
US Airways is so finished it's not even funny.
Rather than waste time and ruin their New Year's weekend, US Airways employees should be buffing their resumes for the upcoming year, in order to get a head start before the company comes out and declares what everyone knows is coming: "It's over."
How do you spell "Dead Company - and Industry - Walking?"
Here's a link to the full story by Caroline E. Mayer and Amy Joyce.
Article comments
1 - Aaman
US Airways is already in bankruptcy protection as of Sep 12, 2004 - I guess you meant liquidation.
Your point is valid, though, only a masochist or a true believer in corporate infallibility would agree to these terms, or perhaps someone who wants to just help people get home.
Incidentally, ref US Airways clarification on the 'volunteer request'
2 - Jason Koulouras
Amazing corporate behaviour - I assume the management and law firms working on the Chapter 11 worked for free on that day as well (cough cough)