Aug 11, 2010

Quitting dramatically

Posted by Wendy Weber

Interesting to hear of 2 stories yesterday regarding disgruntled workers quitting their jobs in dramatic ways.

One was the Jet Blue pilot who, upset with a customer who wouldn’t follow directions, cursed out the entire plane on the public-address system, activated the inflatable emergency evacuation slide, then slid down it, escaping into John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The other was a Broker’s Assistant who quit her job by sending a company-wide email with photos of her resignation letter written in a series of dry erase board posts that contained specific issues with her manager.

It’s a sad reflection of frustration in the workplace that employees are driven to the point of such extreme measures. Clearly, they are burning bridges and forsaking any hope of a recommendation when they choose to exit in such a fashion.

I would have advised these employees to practice one final measure of restraint, and quit if they like, but minus the drama. I hear the Pilot has been lauded by many as a hero. But I suspect this is by other disenfranchised workers, not potential employers.

Wouldn’t it be nice if employers were proactive about keeping a finger on the pulse of their staff, and keeping morale at a higher level?

In