Regarding big mistakes in the newly sent pension estimates, a reader says in a comment: "The bungling of the personalized pension statements is pretty indicative of the incompetence of some of the overpaid Corporate boobs. If this doesn't come back to haunt Roxanne Horning (left) at bonus time, then nothing will. She lays the blame for this on a 'data glitch.' It wasn't the data that screwed up, Roxanne. It was the Corporate staff. Let's be honest with employees. Here's her e-mail to employees in which she trots out her lame excuses:* * *
Dear Employee:
I am sorry to report that the personalized retirement statement you received this past week contained an error caused by a data glitch. Your actual benefit is larger than the one previously shown.
We are correcting the error and sending a new statement immediately. You should have it within a week. The new benefit will be shown on page 2.
Very few of the 26,000 statements we sent have this error. Even so, we truly regret it and apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
If you have any questions, please talk to your Human Resources representative or call the retirement helpline at 866.357.3093.
Sincerely,
Roxanne Horning
Senior Vice President/Human Resources
* * *
The reader's comment continues: "If the employees are Gannett's most valuable asset, as Craig Dubow keeps saying, then how on earth could a mistake like this be made? As one of my co-workers would say about the corporate staff, 'They couldn't organize a one-car funeral procession.'
"I'm guessing that if you poured truth serum down Craig's throat he would tell you that Gannett's cushy corporate perks -- the fat bonus checks, the wining and dining, the corporate jet, etc. -- are really the most important 'assets.'
"One has to wonder whether the company is hoping that since most employees don't have a clue how large their pension should be now, most would accept their pension statements as accurate."
Join the debate, in the original post.
Stupid is, as stupid does. Just like several federal administrations, Congress, and all of their drones.
ReplyDeleteWe are becoming much more like a 3rd World Country.
We can't find the tomatoes.
We can't find weapons.
We can't find the dollars.
We send out wrong checks.
They send out wrong notices.
Stupid...for ALL of that money.
You do realize when you call retirement helpline at 866.357.3093 you are not calling Gannett. You are calling
ReplyDeleteHewitt Associates, the 401k administrators. The phone answerer, at least polite, noted they are getting 150-300 calls a day, the calls go there because Hewitt has more people to answer such calls than Gannett. Hewitt sends over a list of questions the next morning, someone will get back to you within 7 days,
What if..lets just suppose that... the "pension error" wasn't realy an error at all..what if the crafty minds at Big G in DC subscribe to the misinformation theory. Maybe just maybe they sent pension data that they knew was wrong just so they could send out an email that magically tells the beaten down employrr that guess what your pension is larger than we first told you so "don't worry, be happy"
ReplyDeleteWhat really scares me is that the same corporate boobs who messed up our pension statements will now be the ones issuing our checks through the new Lawson payroll system when Cyborg shuts off this month.
ReplyDeleteHow many times are we going to have to call corporate or visit our worthless HR department to get paid the proper amount every two weeks??
Yes worthless HR dept is right..talk about a dept that should be consolidated!
ReplyDeleteYeah, people in the markets never make mistakes. Give me a freakin' break! Some number cruncher screwed up and now they probably feel horrible about it.
ReplyDeleteMust we complain about everything? It is not a big conspiracy and they're all not out to get you.
If you don't like Gannett then leave. It is that simple. Voice your opinion with your feet.
To Anon@6:18 a.m.: Yes, that's definitely the solution! Run away from the problem. Screw your colleagues! Leave them with this mess.
ReplyDeleteHow about standing up for yourself? Questioning authority?
Besides, if everyone who didn't like Gannett left as you suggest, there wouldn't BE any employees!
I don't understand why we have filtered comments when blanket statements like this are let through:
ReplyDeleteBesides, if everyone who didn't like Gannett left as you suggest, there wouldn't BE any employees!
Guys - not everything is a result of Gannett incompetence or a conspiracy. Our pension program is actually managed by another company (not Hewitt - I can't remember who). All Gannett does is send a file that lists what your annual pay was, etc....
ReplyDeleteThe screwup was at the other company.
Anon @ 6/19/2008 2:44 AM:
ReplyDeleteYou say HR should be consolidated.
Anon @ 6/19/2008 2:09 AM:
You say your HR department is worthless, yet corporate is a bunch of boobs.
So basically, everyone in your group is perfect, but everyone else in the company who does something you don't like is worthless or a boob.
Hmmmmm.
@8:04 pm: That is absurd. Someone in Gannett is responsible for choosing that other company; the vendor didn't just steal Gannett's pension program management. Plus, GCI no doubt is paying that vendor a bundle to do what's turning out to be a terrible job. The buck stops with CEO Craig Dubow and HR chief Roxanne Horning.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you, Jim, for clearing up the obvious: In the end-effect I don't care who is adminstering the pension plan - it's HR and Craig Dubow who are the responsible team that should be able to answer questions re. pension plan freeze. Last time I remembered auditors were working at Gannett headquarters and all of them can't be idiots - unless they're slackers like all these "working from home today" types! LOL!
ReplyDelete