Did you ever hit “send to all” by mistake? That happened at U.K. insurance company Aviva when all of its over 1,300 employees around Europe were fired by an e-mail from HR, when it was intended for only one person.

Staff found the e-mail believable because the company had communicated that because of the European debt crisis and poor economy, it may be forced to lay off employees.

The e-mail told employees they were being terminated because they had failed to properly secure the company’s confidential information. It also told them to return company property and their security passes and to leave, reportsthe Toronto Star. That part of the e-mail was standard language sent at termination.

It took HR about 20 minutes to realize what happened and send out an apology. A company spokesman told the media that the errant e-mail was sent due to a “clerical error.”

Or, as Roseanne Roseannadanna would say, “Never mind.”

Source: http://news.techeye.net

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