Because it’s almost Christmas, I’ve decided to focus on two things that are always popular at this time of year. Layoffs and stand-up rows.

Last week, along with e-mails from flat-footed employers telling staff how to behave at Christmas parties, I was forwarded two other equally seasonal messages bearing bad tidings of firings and fall-outs. The first was the perfect example of how not to do this sort of thing. The second was a rarer document: an example of how to do it properly.

The first e-mail was written by Jay Hooley, CEO of State Street, the financial services company, and conveyed the news that 1,400 people would shortly be out of a job. It bore the innocuous title “Staff Announcement” and began: “Today we are announcing a multiyear programme that will enhance service excellence and innovation, help achieve greater operating efficiencies and position us for accelerated growth.”