Here's the problem. An untold number of newspaper employees will no longer be working in as little as two weeks; the final toll could easily be in the thousands. Corporate's mandate is for a 10% workforce reduction by the first week of next month in a community newspaper division that now employs about 30,000.Yet, many middle-managers -- from advertising to circulation to editorial -- have not been consulted about the timing or number of layoffs planned. Ditto, even, for some department heads. Given that information blackout, how in the world can managers figure out how to reorganize departments around fewer workers in time for these cuts to take effect?
What's the plan for putting out your newspaper starting say, Dec. 3, when some departmental workforces could shrink instantaneously by 10% or more employees?
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Earlier: We're building a paper-by-paper list of layoffs and job cuts; just two papers are listed so far, however. Will yours be included?
[Image: today's Green Bay Press-Gazette, Newseum. The Wisconsin paper lost eight jobs in the August round of layoffs; its Corporate page says it now has about 376 workers]
I asked this exact question to my ME a couple of weeks ago and the answer I got was "I can't tell you that without disclosing who is going to be let go." If I survive this our whole newsroom needs to be reorganized because we can't put out the same product the same way with less people.
ReplyDeleteOnce the layoffs are complete employees will be thankful they have a check coming in through the holiday season. But the thankful feeling will not last due to the talk of the next round of layoffs in early 2009.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the term "universal desk" thrown around recently. Hopefully the folks at our Mars bureau have a good handle on what's happening in South Jersey. Other than that, the word here at the C-P is there is no plan. Na-de-fucking-da. When the axe falls on that still-as-yet-to-be-determined December day, those left to pick up the pieces of this once vital newspaper immediately will have to scramble to figure out who does what to get the next day's paper out. As far as long term goes, no one knows about that either. I guess you can't assign seats without a roster.
ReplyDeleteWhy, the survivors will be instructed to "work smarter," of course!
ReplyDeleteThey'll just go on a big hiring frenzy. You watch. This company is not broke.
ReplyDeleteAnd to do more with less.
ReplyDelete"Plan" This is Gannett . . . There is no plan!!
ReplyDeleteJust means more silent and free OT for the ones remaining.
ReplyDeleteWe've been told there will be a massive "reorganization of duties" for the ones left behind after the layoffs. Also, six weeks after said reorganization, we switch to 44 inch web. So for those taking on new roles, that's what they call a double learning curve.
ReplyDelete