Send-Offs for the Laid Off: Considerate or Creepy?

Feb. 9, 2011 — -- When Tiffani Murray lost her job at the end of 2010, she had little qualms about attending the going-away party her department threw in honor of the employees it was letting go.

Not only did the human resources professional have a "great time" at her layoff send-off, she relished the opportunity to say her goodbyes and swap contact information with her soon-to-be-former colleagues.

"Even if it is a simple outing at a cost-effective restaurant, it shows that you are appreciated by leadership and your peers," Murray, who'd worked at the technology company she recently exited for almost five years, wrote in an e-mail. "I'm glad I didn't just pack my cubicle up in solitude and leave quietly in the night."

Of course, not all layoff casualties appreciate such a send-off. Those still seeing red over news of their impending departure may, understandably, find a farewell party thrown in their honor an empty gesture, even a slap in the face.

Others dread the awkwardness of such events. (Exactly how does one answer, "So what are your plans now?" when your plan is to pound the pavement like mad and pray you find a new position before the unemployment checks run out?)

And many say they would gladly trade the feeble festivities for the money their employer shelled out for the shindig in the first place. After all, nothing says, "We appreciate all your service over the years" like a paid day off.