CMS Cameron McKenna has admitted to a "monumentally embarrassing mistake" after making the wrong associate redundant.
Back in May, a finance team in the firm's London office was told that one of its associates would be made redundant. There was a great deal of nervousness and speculation as to who would be selected, until the unlucky associate was finally collared and hauled into a meeting. When she queried why she had been chosen the partners pointed to her appraisal grades. Her assertion that they weren’t actually her grades was met with the response that she was clearly distressed and should go home to let it sink in.
The associate went back to her desk and told her colleagues that she was the one who was selected and that their jobs were all safe. They immediately phoned their families to say that they were OK.
Only they weren't, because one of the partners then ran into the associate’s room to say that there had been a mistake, they were indeed someone else’s grades, her job was safe and a colleague was facing the chop. That colleague – who had of course just told everyone that she was in the clear – was then taken into a room and given the bad news.
A spokesman for the firm said "there's nothing really to say, other than this was a monumentally embarrassing mistake, which we rectified within 10 minutes. Nothing more than human error, but that said, it was clearly upsetting for all the individuals concerned and of course we wish it hadn't happened. The partner concerned was mortified by the error and the associate initially selected is still with the firm."
Tip Off ROF
Back in May, a finance team in the firm's London office was told that one of its associates would be made redundant. There was a great deal of nervousness and speculation as to who would be selected, until the unlucky associate was finally collared and hauled into a meeting. When she queried why she had been chosen the partners pointed to her appraisal grades. Her assertion that they weren’t actually her grades was met with the response that she was clearly distressed and should go home to let it sink in.
The associate went back to her desk and told her colleagues that she was the one who was selected and that their jobs were all safe. They immediately phoned their families to say that they were OK.
Only they weren't, because one of the partners then ran into the associate’s room to say that there had been a mistake, they were indeed someone else’s grades, her job was safe and a colleague was facing the chop. That colleague – who had of course just told everyone that she was in the clear – was then taken into a room and given the bad news.
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A Camerons' partner yesterday |
A spokesman for the firm said "there's nothing really to say, other than this was a monumentally embarrassing mistake, which we rectified within 10 minutes. Nothing more than human error, but that said, it was clearly upsetting for all the individuals concerned and of course we wish it hadn't happened. The partner concerned was mortified by the error and the associate initially selected is still with the firm."