Sacrificial Lambs

My former employer has done a number of things I don't care for (such as moving work to untrained underpaid people to boost their bottom line -- my loss of employment was Huntsville, Alabama's gain) but I think this last one takes the prize for the most ridiculous stunt they've ever pulled.

My former employer has this really huge contract up in New York. They do the payroll processing for the City. They've had this contract for years. Back in 2004 or so, they found out there were some shenanigans going on, stuff like kickbacks and funneling business to buddies instead of bidding it out like they were supposed to. That's pretty bad PR for a company that prides itself on its ethics. They fired people back then, dissolved entire business units and created others to try to protect their asses. But they kept the contract. Why did they keep the contract? Because it makes money hand-over-fist for my former employer, that's why.

Well, it seems all this malfeasance has been investigated quite thoroughly by the City, and they decided they want their money back. So they sued my former employer. And in response to that lawsuit, the Great Big High Muckity Muck fired three very senior managers. Three very senior managers who had no personal involvement with the contract back when all the shenanigans took place.

One of the senior managers they fired started back when I did, I believe. So he had nothing to do with it because he didn't work there when everything went on. The other two were in the wrong place at the wrong time, in that they were the recipients of this contract in one of the shuffles ("reorganizations") my former employer does about as often as most folks change underwear. Both of them were my bosses.

It's not that I have any great affection for these three people -- I barely knew any of them. My only point is, to toss good people out on their ears on a worthless gesture is stupid. How are these people going to get new jobs when they've been turned out so publicly, for a crime they didn't participate in? I'm sure they all received adequate compensation to take care of their financial needs, but what about their reputations?

As if their blood sacrifice will make the legal problems go away and restore my former employer's ethical standing... As if.