the corner office

Losing your job must suck, but would it suck more if you knew before or after Christmas?

GMB national secretary Brian Strutton said: "Every job lost is a personal tragedy and often a family left despairing for their future.

"What sort of Christmas is it going to be for the council workers under notice of redundancy?"

...

A GMB spokesman told the BBC some councils - such as Northamptonshire County Council - had deliberately delayed sending out letters until after Christmas.

The sooner you know the the sooner you don't max out your credit card, blissfully unaware of what's coming. The sooner you know, the sooner you can start looking for a new job or making plans and preparing for the future. How patronising to withhold information like that from someone when it could so materially affect their circumstances?