Microsoft adds insult to injury

It was bad enough that Microsoft recently laid off 1,400 employees. Now the software giant has sent letters to some of those former workers letting them know that their severance payouts were a bit too "generous" and respectfully requesting that they should pay back that money, reports CNET.com.

"An inadvertent administrative error occurred that resulted in an overpayment in severance pay by Microsoft," the letter stated. "We ask that you repay the overpayment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to you."

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed that the authenticity of a letter, but declined further comment, saying it was "a private matter between the company and the affected people." The letter did not provide an explanation for the accounting error but did manage to add a veiled threat of monetary punishment if the money wasn't repaid, at least in the form of a tax impact.

For more on Microsoft's blunder:
- see this CNET.com article

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