Lifesearch had to cough up £2,000 to compensate the client, pay for legal advice and dismiss, retrain staff and seek new advisers to replace those who thought joking about a client killing themselves was OK.
The lesson to teach children and colleagues is this: kindness costs nothing but can bring rewards.
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Cruelty isn't a cheap laugh - it can cost you your career, your friends, your income and the respect of others.
Nobody expects you to be a saint, but just think first about how you would feel if someone said that to a loved one of yours before making what you consider to be a witty remark.
emma.hughes@ft.com
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