Big corporations have become heartless. There was always shady stuff going on, just look at how many retirement funds vanished but things have gotten worse. Everything is so globalized that it's easier for the people to dissociate themselves from their misdeeds. They don't see the facotires they shut down and all the workers who lost their job anymore. On top of that people just figured out all the loopholes (and created more via lobbying). So there are more oppertunities to show their heartlessness without feeling any repercussions (legal or social).
Small businesses are the same as always. Some have good employers some have bad.