Comment by earthtobishop | Hacker News Reader

Comment by earthtobishop | Hacker News Reader

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> However you react, those emotions are real, and they matter. This was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made in my life.

> I want to publicly say thank you to everyone who has worked at Lambda for what you’ve contributed. I know you’ve given parts of who you are to Lambda, and to our students. You are part of our journey. You are the reason we are here. Thank you.

He mentioned the difficulties of those who were fired by acknowledging that their emotions are real, and that they matter. And that this was an unfortunate decision he had to make. He also thanked them for all they have contributed .

What else should he have said ?

How about:

This decision will cause many of those we lay off to endure hardship. I apologize and accept responsibility for that. While I've struggled making this decision, that doesn't compare to the struggle of suddenly being out of work.

To recognize these difficulties, we've offered a month of severance pay for every year people have worked here, and extended the expiry of their vested options to three years.

His quote was rather crass: "Today is a sad day, and people will react in different ways. However you react, those emotions are real, and they matter"

There's a difference between "you feel sad you're fired" and "you'll miss your mortgage next month, because no one is hiring, and your kids may be kicked out of their school district as a result."

You seriously want him to bring up specific difficulties like missing rent payments? Why would you want him to rub salt into the wound like that?

No. I'd like him to acknowledge that this will put employees in a genuinely difficult position, rather than just "I'm sorry people will feel bad." I brought up specific difficulties to point out how the non-specific platitudes downplayed them. You can be non-specific, while acknowledging the seriousness of a decision like this one.

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