For what its worth, I've seen something even more tacky than this. A company rented a ballroom of a hotel and had 2 meetings. 9am: Lay off several hundred people. 10am: Celebration for those still employed. Some people designated for 9am showed up late. It was very awkward.

I’ve been there on the IT side. Company had two meetings simultaneously on either side of the building and I was in the server room disabling GSuite accounts and remotely locking laptops.

Absolutely brutal 40% headcount slash after we lost a major client. And, someone went to the “stay” meeting that was escorted to the correct meeting by a manager too.

Reminds me of The Joker breaking a cuestick in half and throwing it to the two surviving henchman and saying "Good News - there is a new position opening up in my organization".

Definitely not cruel if handled correctly. Provide compensation and support post work for finding a new job. It can be handled super humanely.

So you are the CEO and can't visit anyone physically for obvious reasons. How do you propose you do it?

I would rather be told in the privacy of my house then in a office and have to walk by all the other folks in the other meeting.

If someone forces me into the office, I will cough at them.

What the hell. Just do video call.