The company has long claimed a “philosophy that mass layoffs are a failure of leadership” Ironically, recent actions suggest it may have been proving that statement itself.
For those of us still here, it’s a stark reminder that no one is truly valued, and that loyalty and effort mean little when priorities are set elsewhere.
An already generous purchase offer of the company was initially rejected. Then the Manchester site was abruptly closed, with comfort and compassion closely resembling a boardroom PowerPoint presentation or Tier 3 meeting, leaving colleagues facing the uncertainty of Christmas without a job.
Almost immediately afterward, the company accepted an even larger offer, a timing that speaks louder than any carefully worded statement. Profit was preserved; people were expendable.
They destroyed the livelihoods of people who were doing everything right. People paying bills, raising families, and holding their lives together with hard work and loyalty. And the worst part? This from a company that never stops preaching that ‘people matter.’ Clearly, they don’t. It’s likely the execs didn’t even lose their bonuses while everyone else absorbed the damage
Predictably, any response to criticism will likely be a wall of generic corporate jargon, or nothing at all. Addressing the human cost would require honesty and accountability, neither of which seems to have featured in this process.
The message is unmistakable: profit comes first, staff are disposable, and anyone who remains is reminded daily how little that truly matters.