It is always a good idea to check to see who you have included in an email before you click “send”. Someone at the British insurance company Aviva neglected to do that before sending an email that gave instructions about what to do now that you are no longer working for the company. Around 1,300 workers received this email on accident. Oops!
Aviva Investors is a global insurance company that sells insurance in the United States and Canada, as well as in the UK, Europe, Australia, and in many countries in Asia. In the United States, the insurer sells life insurance, annuities, and a Wellness rider that a person can attach to his or her life insurance policy. This is the insurance company that had a commercial with the paper people who were cut-out from the paperwork that comes with an insurance policy.
Recently, the company has been going through a restructuring process that involves job cuts. Andrew Moss, the chief executive of Aviva made an announcement that the board would be overhauled. It seems that this is not the first time this has happened. The current overhaul included the departure of Alain Dromer, (head of Aviva Investors), Igal Mayer, (European Boss), and Richard Hoskins, (head of North America).
Two days after this announcement was made, someone at Aviva made a really unfortunate mistake with email. The mistake serves as a vivid example of why it is important to take a second and check to make certain that the email you are about to send is going to the correct recipient, and not to your entire address book. This is especially true when people are sending a work related email to other employees at the company.
It seems that there was one, unnamed, worker who was about to end his or her employment with Aviva. Or, perhaps that person already had done so. In any case, someone in the HR department attempted to send that person an email explaining company policy about what to do, and what not to do, as the worker ended his or her employment with Aviva.
The email said to hand over company property and security passes on the way out of the building. It said to submit all electronic passwords to the company. It also included a brief reminder to not spill any company secrets. The wording of that part read:
“I am required to remind you of your contractual obligations to the company you are leaving. You have an obligation to retain any confidential information pertaining to Aviva Investors operations, systems, and clients”.
After composing this email to the one employee it was intended for, someone in the HR department at Aviva clicked “send”. The email didn’t go to just the worker it was intended for, though. The HR person ended up sending it to 1,300 workers by mistake. Oops! The email was quickly followed by an email of apology.
Image by Ambernectar 13 on Flickr