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Saturday, May 23, 2009
Cutlines Only | A President's Ring, with diamonds
Got bling? Send me a photo via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
27 comments:
Jim says: "Proceed with caution; this is a free-for-all comment zone. I try to correct or clarify incorrect information. But I can't catch everything. Please keep your posts focused on Gannett and media-related subjects. Note that I occasionally review comments in advance, to reject inappropriate ones. And I ignore hostile posters, and recommend you do, too."
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A reader says:
ReplyDelete"I was told when I got my first, that the rings cost over a $1,000. Since then, gold has tripled in price. I can't confirm that the price is accurate but at least the men's rings are a good-sized chunk of gold. You get the base ring when you win for the first time. After the first, you return the ring and they put an additional diamond in it -- up to four. On the fifth win, you get a second ring, the Chairman's ring."
Yes. And the chairman's ring is made of platinum, not gold.
ReplyDeleteLet's be clear here. You don't get a ring each time you win. You get one ring and a diamond for each of your first four wins. Then you get a Chairman's ring. You can win a second Chairman's ring with your 10th "win." This has been done before ... Ward Bushee (now of the S.F. Chronicle) and Tom Callinan (Cincinnati) are two that come to mind as double-digit winners. There are others.
ReplyDeleteWhat hasn't been noted was the monetary gift that goes with the ring. First-time winners - unless they are selected among the Top 3 - only get the ring. Additional wins used to (don't know if they do currently) include a grossed-up monetary bonus of $500. Top 3 honorees get more than $500 in addition to a ring / diamond.
But does the ring come with a built-in decoder, or is that extra?
ReplyDeleteAt some Gannett locations the most coveted ring would certainly be a c#ck ring! They could all be ordered in the small size.
ReplyDeleteI hear some people are making others KISS the ring prior to allowing them to be talked to
ReplyDeleteCongrats Michael Cusato!
ReplyDeleteWinning a ring for the innovative cost cutting methods.
Using people then putting them in the unemployment line, I never would have thought of that!
Hard to make out that ring design, but it resembles a hammer-and-sickle pattern. Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteI WANT my RING!
ReplyDeleteWho started giving the rings? Why rings?
ReplyDeleteI had always heard the cash award which accompanied the ring was more like $10,000. That was the rumor...never saw any official confirmation. Even by Gannett standards, $500 seems cheesy. These are mostly 6 figure execs for goodness sake.
ReplyDeleteAnyone??
When I received a ring in 2007, I was given the option of keeping the ring or taking what was behind curtain No. 3. I took the curtain and won a small herd of goats. But then I was given another choice of keeping the goats or taking an unmarked 8x11 envelope. The goats were cute, but I went with the envelope. I wish I had kept the goats. Inside the envelope was an autographed color photograph of Craig Dubow, the same corporate-issued photo that makes him look like an Iowa tractor driver.
ReplyDeleteHey 5:25, thanks for a good laugh. I'm still chuckling.
ReplyDeleteI'll anticipate a statement from the Iowa Professional Truck Drivers Association: "An outrageous slur upon our hard-working members!"
ReplyDeleteIf these VPS actually were extraordinary people, they would decline the ring and ask for a monetary incentive and take out their support staff that helped them win the ring. OR take the ring, congratulate their employees for a job well done and do something special for their department. That is what a good VP is, not just numbers on paper. If you don't motivate your staff, you'll NEVER win another ring.
ReplyDeleteThe previous poster is correct. The cash rewards are $10,000 for winning rings. At least, mine was.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, corporate asked whether the ring program should be abolished or changed. The answer, according to them (Sue C-J), was that we all wanted to keep the ring program. I wonder what would happen now if that question was repeated.
are tatoos an option? maybe the winners could get the tough guy barbed wire kind, and flex it anytime an underling disagreed....
ReplyDelete8:47 pm,
ReplyDeleteCome on - the monetary incentive for winning a ring is $500 - NOT $10,000. Those in the top three earn $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 respectively. It's not about the money, it's about the recognition.
Heard Gannett out source the ring to China to be made. It is gold plated and full of lead!
ReplyDeleteofficial statement from the IPTDA:
ReplyDeleteout of work out of site out of mind
"My precious!"
ReplyDelete"My precious!"
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteoh, oh. No comment monitoring by the blog owner. Time to cut lose and say what you really think with minimal intervention and censorship.
5/24/2009 9:14 AM
When I earned my ring it came with a $20,000 grossed up cash award and furlough imunity for three years. Or was it one year and only $15,000. No, wait, it was a thawed pension. Whoops, I mean I get to keep my job for life AND a new car!!
ReplyDeleteOr was I just drinking or a loser drooler with an envy complex?
9:15:
ReplyDeleteYou are probably Jim.
Hey 9:19:
ReplyDeleteYou're probably correct!
When you are right, you are right!!
ReplyDelete10:48 pm
ReplyDeleteCome on - the monetary incentive for winning a ring is $500 - NOT $10,000. Those in the top three earn $2,000, $1,500 and $1,000 respectively. It's not about the money, it's about the recognition.
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Really? I thought it was ALWAYS about the money.
word verification: "ching(na)"