Not having to face someone to deliver difficult news is made all the easier these days with the prevalence of smart devices. Don’t want to go to on that date? Email that you’re sick, cough cough, and no one will know the truth. Or perhaps you don’t want to tell your entire staff face to face that they’re fired — just send a text, a move restaurant workers in Florida say their boss pulled.

Perhaps so he wouldn’t have to see the crestfallen faces of his employees when he informed them that all of their jobs were ending stat, with no notice, the workers say they found out the restaurant was closing via text message from the owner on the Fourth of July, reports WFTV.com.

The workers say they’re still waiting for their last paychecks after suddenly finding out the joint would be closing.

According to one cook, the message read: “I unfortunately need to inform you that I have been forced to close [the restaurant] effective immediately.”

“I think it’s immoral. I think it’s cowardice,”  she said of the missive of dismissal.

She says there are a dozen other employees who all got the message and are hanging on for that last bit of pay.

“I think we all deserve our compensation for money he’s already made from us,” she said.

The news station apparently tried to call the owner, but couldn’t make a voice-to-voice connection. Instead, he sent a text message. Because, well, obviously.

“Unfortunately businesses are forced to close across Orlando every day especially in the restaurant sector,” he wrote. “I am working to resolve issues including final paychecks as quickly as possible.”

Restaurant workers say they were fired by text [WFTV.com]

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