It has been yet another bumper year for cliché, euphemism and verbal stupidity. This year’s entries for the Best Euphemism for Firing People contrived to make the old idea of “right-sizing” look respectable. Lots of companies sacked people by “consolidating leadership”; Citibank tried to hide the axing of 1,100 staff in a press release that talked of “optimising the customer footprint across geographies”; and a special prize goes to Oliver Wyman, which – in a report on the Future of Asian Banking – devised the downright sinister “right-culturing.   (Lucy Kellaway, Financial Times).

It’s the bad taste that gets me, the lack of respect for the people who have lost their jobs, the crass crowing, as if to say,” tough, fellers, I’ve still got my job”.    Epicureans can be on both sides of the employment scene, but of one thing I am sure – if an Epicurean is the boss and he has to take away someone’s job he does it personally, respectfully, with a proper explanation, and with some generosity, saving as much as possible the dignity and self-respect of the person in question.  That is the civilised, decent approach.  Employees are not in general well treated these days, especially in the US, where holiday entitlements (to mention only one thing) are derisory.  The quotations above reveal the mindset.