You've already told your friend you can't help her. I'd just leave it at that and keep moving forward.

I would help a friend.

Actually, I have not responded to my friend (him) yet.

Tell him about the promotion and let him get the tickets. Give him a phone number.

I would help a friend. I wouldn't see it as helping the company, I would see it as she most likely will buy the tickets anyway and you are helping her get them cheaper.

Simply say that you are no longer in the position to get or receive "insider scoops or info". No further explanation required.

Just let it go. Don't support a company that you don't like. Let your friend know you can't help them.

I've been laid off due to downsizing, I agree it's not the funnest of situations but if you're really getting past it, just unsubscribe to their emails (if you can) and forward the information. I'd much rather help a friend than not.

Your good friend doesn't sound very sensitive, not having had a problem asking you about something that would dredge up a past unpleasantness. If you feel resentful about participating in doing business with the company - then don't.

If they were downsizing, they were downsizing out of necessity......it was nothing personal. You are not supporting the company, you are supporting a friend. Look at it this way, if you tell your friend about the promotion, your friend will get the ticket cheaper. He's probably going to buy a ticket anyway and the company you don't want to support will be getting less money from your friend than they would if you didn't tell him about the promotion....win - win!

I'd say I was no longer in the loop, but had received xyz promotion and pass it on. Or you could say you no longer recommend the place. Your choice.

I concur with Georgysmom.

By giving your friend the promotional info you are helping your friend. If she can save money, why not? Especially if she would buy the tickets at full price anyway.

I would help the friend. I've been laid off, and do still harbor some resentment to the company (mainly due to disgustingly large payouts to executives at the expense of lower level workers). HOWEVER, I'd place my friendship over that if I could. And I like the idea of unsubscribing to any emails that come directly from the company. If it's a Groupon or something, it would make it easier to tell the friend "I saw this promotion on Groupon, you should sign up for it" so they can get their own discounts in the future.

Help the friend.

You got to let go of those ill feelings. You're only robbing your own happiness. Help the friend and make peace with what happened. Your friend is just asking for a discount. This person has nothing to do with your job experience there.

You are obviously still very raw from the experience of being let go. Although it was due to downsizing, not everyone was let go and it is reasonable to feel that it should not have been you as well. These are your emotions talking.

Logically, you should pass on the info to your good friend. I guess this good friend thinks you left the job with no hard feelings. And, here is why you are having difficulty.

You did leave with hard feelings and you still harbor them. Your friend does not know this. For all he knows, you are still chummy with co-workers that still work there.

Since you already told him you couldn't help him, give it 24 hours to see if you change your mind.

I agree with other comments, that you seem to be harboring hard feelings about the RIF. Unless you think the action taken was a personal decision against you specifically, you shouldn't be treating it as one. I don't think trying to help a friend or not is the issue here at all.

Tell your friend about the deal you came across, but emphasize that this is NOT "insider info" and that you no longer have any inside contacts at your former workplace. I like your phrasing "That's not part of my life anymore." Short and sweet.

If this friend asks for a similar favor in the future, ignore it or repeat "that's not part of my life anymore."

Can your friend get the discount without involving you, or is it only being offered to "LaLennoxa"? If you can steer him to a discount for which HE is eligible, why not do so -- unless you think the offer is fraudulent.

Thank you for all of your comments! The funny thing is I agree with most - if not all - the comments in a way. Thank you to those who do acknowledge that my feelings were affected - and yes, as "impersonal" as it may have been, it is still very personal thing - as eld6161 put so well.

I think the bigger picture for me is that this may be an opportunity for me to stand up for where I am coming from. I used to be the kind of person who would never rock the boat, always be helpful and nice, suck it in, my feelings are not important, etc. Not so much any more.

What really is reinforcing this is an incident that happened a few years ago with this same friend, ironically. My friend is a vegetarian, and I was having him over for a meal. He came over early, and for some reason I was quite thrown off putting the meal together. And - totally by accident - I used lard to grease the pan and not some other oil. He was there and saw the whole thing - he did not say anything at the time, but did call me up a few days later to explain his stand on the situation, that he is a vegetarian and does not eat any animal products, including lard. Just to be clear. Which, of course, I totally understood - and was most apologetic for. It was never an issue between us at all.

Likewise, I need to make this very clear. I am going call my friend and explain my feelings regarding this company, and that I have no desire to support it in any way at this time or in the foreseeable future. It is actually an opportunity to deepen my friendship!

Help a friend. I value my friends.

Ask yourself.....if you were the friend, how would you like to be treated? I would help a friend and hope they would do the same for me.

Take the high road and help your friend. Who knows, they may upsize and want you back, but even if that doesn't happen, maintain a positive relationship. If they had to downsize, it doesn't mean they did not value you.

Thanks for your input - see my above comment. Any relationship thrives on communication. I am going to help my friend understand my feelings on this matter.

Has it occurred to you that by helping your friend get a discount is likely causing a loss of income to the company that has you upset? To me, that's a win-win. I do agree that I'd say it's not insider info, since it's not, but it sounds like the friend will spend the money anyway so why not help them and get your own little private and personal jab.

I understand being upset with losing your job through no fault of your own. I (along with a number of others involved) avoided buying a certain company's products at least for a while because they shut down the division and put nearly 3000 people out of work. I know it was a business decision by new management and their privilege. They likely will re-form the division as they did the last 3 times they made such cuts but it's irrelevant. I'm not so stupid as to think we'd put them out of business or anything but it's our own little protest. It won't go on forever. I've moved on. And there's one or two products that are good so I'm also not going to cut off nose to spite face as the old saying goes. But I have found a number of cheaper products that are just as good or better. I live fine. And it's in the past, where it should stay.

Yes, you and a few others, notably Georgysmom, have pointed that out - thank you. Actually, if I really wanted to go down this route, I have a contact who can get tickets for another (competing) theatre company at a significantly better deal. And it has definitely crossed my mind to bring that up! Anyway, right now, the whole thing is in limbo because my friend has not yet returned my call from a few days ago - I thought they were looking for this weekend too. Looks like this will be a discussion for a later date.

I agree Rusty.

However, people sometimes go from THEIR perspective. "I got laid off, I never held a grudge" or "She can't possibly still be upset after all this time...." In other words rationalizing or thinking for the other person.

Our feelings are just that , OUR feelings. Sometimes they will not make sense to someone else.

Rusty and eld6161, thanks for your input. Actually, this is one of my closer friends, so yes, part of my reaction was as you describe - but I know deep down this would never be the intention. Actually, perhaps it speaks to the regard I have for him that I was affected as such - if it had been a lesser friend, I probably would have dismissed it without even giving it another thought. That's why I have no reservations now that I have decided to communicate this, when we get a chance to talk. It's interesting how these things can bring out an inner strength.

Often these promotional deals are lost leaders for a company. I would not hesitate to help a friend...if it inadvertently also helps the company--well bitter is an ugly place to live--I would be secretly hoping the promo hurts them in the long run....