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Email Nightmare: Carat Staffers Receive Talking Points on Job Cuts

An unfortunate email blunder alerted Carat staffers that their jobs could be in peril, and shared with them the specifics on how they would be told of the news.

The media agency will restructure its U.S. operations and plans an undisclosed number of layoffs - news that was shared with the entire agency via an email from the agency’s chief people officer. The email, obviously intended only for senior management, was obtained by AdAge.

The email contained talking points on how employees would handled during layoff talks: “If you would like to go home today and come back tomorrow to clean out your desk or office, you are free to do so. We would like you to meet with your manager following our meeting to transition your work. We will be communicating to your team today. Your manager will be contacting clients. We ask that you do not contact your clients to discuss this situation.”

Carat’s parent, Aegis Group, said last week that layoffs were coming, but hasn’t said how many. The documents don’t talk about the number of employees that will be let go, either, but do say that the agency will consolidate its buying team in NY and that offices in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco will all be affected.

“The restructuring and centralizing of the Buying and Research groups to New York from our other locations is a strategic move designed to strengthen the core of our business. We believe strongly that our clients will be better served by a centralized model and you will be hearing more about this in the days to come. [...] we expect this move to drives [sic] collaboration, consistency and stronger leverage in the marketplace,” the memo reads.

The one specific of the restructuring that is mentioned in the memo is that the Spot, National, Radio and Print teams “will be working in collaboration together - sharing ideas, strategies and offering our clients strength in value through collaboration and negotiation strategies.”

Carat recently lost Hyundai and New Line Cinema accounts.

AdAge includes links to the Carat Restructuring Memo and the Carat Restructuring Communication Plan.