• by George Simpson , Featured Contributor, April 8, 2011

AOL, in yet another bold move in the annals of How Not To Manage A Business, told its freelance Moviefone and Cinematical writers in the same email this week that they were fired, then asked them to keep writing -- for free -- "because we value all of your voices and input." If even one writer bites, this will be hailed as some sort of forward-thinking, landmark human resources management policy. I can see the HBS study now: "How To Cut Your Payroll Costs, Yet Maintain Productivity." In fact, why not roll it out company-wide right now? After all, sales managers at AOL probably cost the company a good deal more than writers, who apparently are considered an expendable commodity. Not to mention those technology geeks who can be gotten for $5 a day in India on the days you really need one. 

Perhaps it is time to revisit the AOL Values posted on the corporate part of its Web site. 

We are in the business of helping people. Period. 

As long as you are not one of our employees, who we have fired by the thousands as we have tried to get this train back on the tracks.

We say what we mean and do what we say. We act with integrity.

Sort of like saying "we value all of your voices and input" as long as they are free.

We embrace change and a DNA of curiosity -- we think big and take chances.

In fact, we were curious to see if we could get you to work for free. We took this chance because it is such a big idea we might ask everyone here to join the no-longer-employed-but-spend-your-time-helping-us-be-successful party.

We hire and empower smart people who love what they do.

Then fire them. Then ask them to work for free.

We trust and root for each other -- we win as a team.  

Which is why we asked you to take one "for the team." Look at it as being on the taxi squad where we beat the crap out of you and send you home without any money for X-rays or bandages.

We take fun seriously. 

What could be more seriously fun than getting people to work for us for free? 

Elsewhere on the corporate part of AOL's site they state: 

AOL is committed to conducting its business in ways that minimize its impact on the environment through a variety of initiatives.

We figure if we don't pay you, you can't buy gas that pollutes the air; can't buy groceries with non-biodegradable, landfill-stuffing packaging; can't fly out to your cousin's wedding consuming global-warming, ozone-ripping jet fuel. Finally, if we can start a trend, we can get other companies to stop paying their freelancers (like you) and really save the planet.