Rude awakening | Midnight text tells staff they're fired - a new low for mismanaged lay-offs?

Thousands of workers woke up to a text from their company informing them they’d been laid off with immediate effect.

The New York Post reports that United Furniture Industries, a firm based in Mississippi, US, sent messages to around 2,700 employees – its entire workforce - shortly before midnight last week, explaining their employment had been terminated and they would not be no allowed to return to work. Workers were later given instructions of how and when to collect any personal belongings that they had left at the premises.

The reason behind the mass dismissal has not been confirmed.

“At the instruction of the board of directors… we regret to inform you that due to unforeseen business circumstances, the company has been forced to make the difficult decision to terminate the employment of all its employees, effective immediately,” the message read.