Global Crossing also gained significant publicity through their bankruptcy process as a result of the behavior of the firm's managers. Thousands of laid-off employees never received their severance payments (as Global Crossing's bankruptcy eventually rendered them unable to make the payments) and many workers' retirement plans became worthless after the plunge of Global Crossing stock. However, while these facts may in and of themselves be the unfortunate consequences of bankruptcy, the fate of the firm's executives tells a different story: the company moved up its last pay date so managers could collect their final paychecks before the January 28th declaration of bankruptcy, while laid-off workers' severance checks had already ceased to arrive. Moreover, while regular employees' pension plans quickly deteriorated alongside Global Crossing's crashing stock price, executives were granted special permission to receive their pension payments in one lump sum--that is, avoiding the negative effects of the fall in stock price altogether, and cashing out handsomely.