I can't think of many other acts that more clearly say, “You are only a number and we couldn't care less about you,” than getting an auto-generated form e-mail from HR. It has a “noreply” email address. The subject line was Happy Birthday and then used my full first, middle, and last names. The body wished me a happy birthday and a very special day. It was unsigned. I'm sure if I died before the end of the fiscal year, it would still send me a birthday greeting. This email does the opposite of what birthday cards from friends and family does. Better not to get anything at all.