Well you’d kinda think it went without saying that when you fire people, you shouldn’t lead them to believe you’ve just consigned them to a life of dumpster-diving and peeing on shredded newsprint.

Even if you have.

But apparently Northwest Airlines is as clueless when it comes to layoff PR as United is at that whole bigotry thang. The Smoking Gun reports on the handy-dandy pamphlet NWA handed its outgoing workers, to enable them to make the transition from productive worker to presumably Thunderbird-soused binners as smoothly as possible:

In a remarkable bit of corporate insensitivity, Northwest Airlines brass gave workers it is laying off a booklet offering “101 Ways To Save Money,” including “don’t be shy about pulling something you like out of the trash” and “ask your doctor for samples of prescriptions.” The booklet was included in a layoff packet recently given to dozens of pink-slipped workers in North Dakota, Montana, and Texas…

Along with the dumpster diving suggestion, Northwest recommended shorter showers, thrift store shopping, and getting “hand-me-down clothes and toys for your kids from friends and relatives.” Not to mention “grow your own vegetables and herbs” and “use old newspapers for cat litter.”

The whole document is on TSG‘s website here. Hey, what are you gonna do when Family Circle isn’t around to cover this lifestyle tip stuff anymore?