Microsoft Goes 'Backsies' On Severance Snafu

You may remember that last week that Microsoft made the unbelievably stupid decision to ask some of its 1,400 laid-off employees to return the difference from an accidental overpayment. Now, that decision isn't stupid in a vacuum - fairness does work both ways, at least in such a hypothetical vacuum. But in the actual world, where Microsoft already faces monumental adversity in image-perception alone (not to mention their crumbling software licensing business model), firing folks and then asking them to give you money just doesn't work.

Pretty much regardless of the circumstances, the newly unemployed are going to have bigger priorities. Like feeding their children.

Mercifully, over the weekend someone human must have explained this dynamic in detail to the thoughtless boobs who decided to pursue the loose change from an accounting error. Microsoft HR chief Lisa Brummel said yesterday that Microsoft would back off the overpaid employees and immediately reimburse those who were underpaid:

"I thought it didn't make sense for us to continue on the path we were on," she told CNET News. Twenty-five workers were overpaid and about 20 underpaid, Microsoft said.

Brummel said she has spoken or left messages to most of those affected.

Brummel said those overpaid received, on average, about $4,000 or $5,000 in extra pay.

"I have called now 22 out of the 25 impacted employees, only because I haven't had time to get to the three but I will after we hang up," Brummel said.

As far as corporate loyalty goes, Brummel herself touts that she once repaid Microsoft after an accidental overpayment. Of course, she still has a paying job, which makes such ethical rigor a little less impressive.

Microsoft backtracks on severance issue [CNet]