US Company Fires 2,700 Employees Through Text Message: Report

United Furniture Industries left thousands of people unemployed just two days before Thanksgiving.

A Mississippi-based furniture company fired nearly 2,700 employees right before midnight on November 21, The Guardian reported. The company notified the employees about their termination in texts and emails and asked them not to come to work the next day. United Furniture Industries known for making budget-friendly sofas and recliners for Simmons Upholstery left thousands of people unemployed just two days before Thanksgiving.

According to the New York Post, the message sent to the employees by the company said, "At the instruction of the board of directors ... we regret to inform you that due to unforeseen business circumstances, the company has been forced to make the difficult decision to terminate the employment of all its employees, effective immediately, on Nov. 21."

"Your layoff from the company is expected to be permanent and all benefits will be terminated immediately without provision of Cobra," the employee received a follow-up email from the company.

The company also instructed its drivers to immediately "return equipment, inventory and delivery documents", regardless of "whether or not [they] have completed [their] delivery".