An abusive rejection letter sent by email to a jobseeker has landed a company director in hot water.
The email was sent to 48 year old James Allen, a former serviceman from Devon, who was described in the letter as ‘an old, aesthetically challenged guy with no teeth’.
Written by the company director of a window and conservatory manufacturer, the message to the would-be labourer read: “You are not only the most inappropriate person for this job, but probably for any job you will spend the next few years applying for, only to get rejected as soon as they meet you.”
Sarah Hassler, the company director who wrote the abusive email has said that it was a mistake that she sent her so-called ‘rant’, saying that she had read an article suggesting that anger and upset could be released by writing down how one felt, but not sharing what was written. She said that she had written an appropriate email turning down James Allen for the job, but the two had become muddled and she had sent the wrong one.
This is an extreme example of what not to say to either a potential or existing employee; whilst problems with performance, for example, may involve some plain-speaking, it is important that you keep to the facts and don’t resort to any personal attacks. There is a raft of legislation that could be breached by such a conversation, including the Equality Act, and getting it wrong could turn a performance review into an expensive conversation for the company.
Most importantly, everyone should know they cannot draft ill-considered emails, or share frustrations with other colleagues, even to release pent-up anger.
