On Tuesday, Radio Shack notified 400-450 employees BY E-MAIL that they were losing their jobs. This has, understandably, drawn a lot of criticism in the media. One blogger I think nailed it when she described the action thusly: “Disgraceful.”

I thought Radio Shack was skirting the bottom of the ethics barrel when they charge exorbitant prices on remote control cars during December, only to discount them 70% the day after Christmas. But, no, this one exceeds my wildest expectations. I’m just wondering what routes for notification that they rejected before deciding on e-mail?

Here’s what I think they considered first but eventually ruled out.

  1. Giving employee layoff or choice of their crappy merchandise.
  2. Mandatory participation in game show called “Guess Who’s Unemployed?”
  3. Use of literal firing squad, blindfolds, cigarettes, etc.
  4. Developing a page on their corporate web site called, “Do you have a job today?” where employees can go daily to look for their names on a hit list.
  5. Wheel of layoffs. Similar to the wheel of savings, you see at Carnival Shoes, except that instead sections being marked $5 off or “Buy one Get one free,” there are people’s names.
  6. Notification by way of carrier pigeons wearing black wing bands.
  7. Singing telegrams.
  8. Spontaneous combustion when laid-off employee unknowingly tries to use his key card.
  9. Television notification, right after the Lotto numbers
  10. Delivering layoff notification in same envelope as draft notification.