Answer: Finding your name misspelled in your official layoff notification letter. That's what happened this week to one (now former) East Coast newspaper employee.
Showing posts with label Layoff Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Layoff Stories. Show all posts
Friday, August 02, 2013
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
As layoffs rise, stock buybacks eat cash, NYT says
With the U.S. battling unemployment, big companies are dipping into record levels of cash to buy back shares -- "neglecting to lay the foundation for future growth by expanding into new businesses or building new plants,'' The New York Times says in a story today.
"It’s an extraordinarily unimaginative way to use money,” former Clinton Administration labor secretary Robert Reich told the newspaper.
After diving in the wake of the financial crisis, the NYT says, "buybacks have made a remarkable comeback in recent years, with $445 billion authorized this year, the most since 2007, when repurchases peaked at $914 billion."
Gannett is no exception, according to filings with securities regulators. It had $196 million in cash and cash equivalents at the end of the third quarter -- more than double the amount in 2007, when the economy was slipping into the Great Recession. (See table, left.)
Since doubling the dividend and announcing resumption of buybacks in July, GCI has spent $28 million on share repurchases. It said it planned to buy back up to $100 million in stock over the next 12 months.
Meanwhile, although GCI is doing limited hiring, its overall employment almost certainly continues to fall. Its last official workforce count was 32,600, at the end of last year. It was the fifth consecutive year of falling employment. The workforce last plateaued at 52,600, in 2005.
"It’s an extraordinarily unimaginative way to use money,” former Clinton Administration labor secretary Robert Reich told the newspaper.
After diving in the wake of the financial crisis, the NYT says, "buybacks have made a remarkable comeback in recent years, with $445 billion authorized this year, the most since 2007, when repurchases peaked at $914 billion."
Since doubling the dividend and announcing resumption of buybacks in July, GCI has spent $28 million on share repurchases. It said it planned to buy back up to $100 million in stock over the next 12 months.
Meanwhile, although GCI is doing limited hiring, its overall employment almost certainly continues to fall. Its last official workforce count was 32,600, at the end of last year. It was the fifth consecutive year of falling employment. The workforce last plateaued at 52,600, in 2005.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Indy | Laid off, reporter tweets his job search
After Robert Annis lost his long-time job at The Indianapolis Star in Gannett's June layoff of 700 newspaper employees nationwide, he started reporting via Twitter on his own search for another job.
So far his efforts have yielded several interviews, but no offers. Last month, using the @Zipp_USA Twitter handle of his prospective employer, a bike accessory company, Annis updated his 1,700 followers on his progress.
After a second interview at the company, which he thought went well, it took a week to get the bad news. "Didn't get the @Zipp_USA job,'' he tweeted Sept. 7.
Annis, 38, didn't expect to be laid off. "I was just in shell shock,'' he told Delaney. "I was one of the most productive reporters they had. I never thought I'd be one of the ones that was let go."
Earlier: In one of Gannett Blog's most-discussed posts, laid-off N.J. sports editor sends message to Gannett in his final column -- and it somehow gets into print.
A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Job applications and phone calls going unanswered. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.Friday, February 04, 2011
In a must-read column, laid-off N.J. sports editor raps Gannett: 'We're all victims of corporate greed'
Several readers have sent me the text of laid-off sports editor Frank DiLeo's column today in the Daily Record -- a column they were surprised to see in print. (Me, too.) The paper, in Parsippany, N.J., is one of three Gannett dailies losing nearly half their combined 99 newsroom employees this week in a work consolidation.
"Everyone is cheering and wondering how it ever got into the paper,'' one of the readers told me. "It is not available on the Daily Record's website. Please publish it as a post on your blog."
The column appeared under the headline, "In the game of life, there are few winners."
By FRANK DILEO
"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.'' -- Mark Twain
The Daily Record sports department has strived over the years to bring you the best coverage of Morris County athletics as possible. Whether it was online or in print, in a weekly newspaper or a daily, we took great pride in the service that we provided for the community.
But all that work, all the sacrifices we made are worth nothing.
For the second time in two years, I am being laid off from my job as sports editor of the Daily Record. This despite being a 35-year-old manager who has received nothing but praise and exceptional reviews, always put his employees first, and truly cared for the community. In my 12 years with the company (Gannett), I have received almost every local, state and national award for my field, from headline writing to page designing and much more.
I even won the first New Jersey Press Association award for innovation a few years back.
It's ironic that in such a short time, I became a dinosaur.
Why was I laid off . . . again? I wish I knew, as do the other great folks here who put in decades of service only to see their career come to an end with no explanation.
I worked hard to build my career, only to be left with a few weeks of severance and reminders of what used to be.
Those of you who know me well know that I don't put much stock in emotion. But I can't help but to feel like a rube on the midway for thinking that someone as young, talented and loyal as I was would be able to stick with a company after proving time and time again that there was nothing I couldn't or wouldn't do for the good of the corporation.
I've worked through pneumonia many times, bronchitis, pleurisy, broken ribs, migraines, a gallbladder that stopped functioning for six months and many other ailments that I ignored doctors orders to stay home. All for the good of the company. This is where it got me.
But I am not alone in my bitterness.
Many great people worked their last day at the Daily Record on Friday. Nearly half the staff has been let go from an already thin crew. Folks that have been for over 30 years had to reapply for their positions and drive to Neptune, some of us had to do it four times in a span of two weeks, to be asked the exact same questions as the previous trip.
Why?
You'll have to ask Gannett management that question yourself, because I've never received anything resembling an explanation.
My guess is that we're all victims of corporate greed, just like millions of folks out there going through the same thing.
Things like truth, honor, work ethic and integrity mean nothing on an Excel spreadsheet. It's all about profit margins.
Gannett is not alone in this new world order of treating customers like an annoyance and employees like dogs who should be happy with whatever scraps are leftover.
Pick any major company, and you'll find an indifference to customer service and quality.
The Daily Record, more so its parent company Gannett, is no different.
Many talented, innovative, caring people were let go today. Meanwhile, the empty suits at corporate collect six and seven-figure salaries while accepting massive bonuses.
Please don't take this as knock against the Daily Record's bosses. They're great people who truly care about the community and this newspaper. Corporate greed everywhere has run amok, and we the people are left to deal with the consequences of its wake.
But it still hurts . . . again.
Frank DiLeo can be reached at frankdileo1107@yahoo.com.
"Everyone is cheering and wondering how it ever got into the paper,'' one of the readers told me. "It is not available on the Daily Record's website. Please publish it as a post on your blog."
The column appeared under the headline, "In the game of life, there are few winners."
By FRANK DILEO
"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.'' -- Mark Twain
But all that work, all the sacrifices we made are worth nothing.
For the second time in two years, I am being laid off from my job as sports editor of the Daily Record. This despite being a 35-year-old manager who has received nothing but praise and exceptional reviews, always put his employees first, and truly cared for the community. In my 12 years with the company (Gannett), I have received almost every local, state and national award for my field, from headline writing to page designing and much more.
I even won the first New Jersey Press Association award for innovation a few years back.
It's ironic that in such a short time, I became a dinosaur.
Why was I laid off . . . again? I wish I knew, as do the other great folks here who put in decades of service only to see their career come to an end with no explanation.
I worked hard to build my career, only to be left with a few weeks of severance and reminders of what used to be.
Those of you who know me well know that I don't put much stock in emotion. But I can't help but to feel like a rube on the midway for thinking that someone as young, talented and loyal as I was would be able to stick with a company after proving time and time again that there was nothing I couldn't or wouldn't do for the good of the corporation.
I've worked through pneumonia many times, bronchitis, pleurisy, broken ribs, migraines, a gallbladder that stopped functioning for six months and many other ailments that I ignored doctors orders to stay home. All for the good of the company. This is where it got me.
But I am not alone in my bitterness.
Many great people worked their last day at the Daily Record on Friday. Nearly half the staff has been let go from an already thin crew. Folks that have been for over 30 years had to reapply for their positions and drive to Neptune, some of us had to do it four times in a span of two weeks, to be asked the exact same questions as the previous trip.
Why?
You'll have to ask Gannett management that question yourself, because I've never received anything resembling an explanation.
My guess is that we're all victims of corporate greed, just like millions of folks out there going through the same thing.
Things like truth, honor, work ethic and integrity mean nothing on an Excel spreadsheet. It's all about profit margins.
Gannett is not alone in this new world order of treating customers like an annoyance and employees like dogs who should be happy with whatever scraps are leftover.
Pick any major company, and you'll find an indifference to customer service and quality.
The Daily Record, more so its parent company Gannett, is no different.
Many talented, innovative, caring people were let go today. Meanwhile, the empty suits at corporate collect six and seven-figure salaries while accepting massive bonuses.
Please don't take this as knock against the Daily Record's bosses. They're great people who truly care about the community and this newspaper. Corporate greed everywhere has run amok, and we the people are left to deal with the consequences of its wake.
But it still hurts . . . again.
Frank DiLeo can be reached at frankdileo1107@yahoo.com.
Earlier: How Gannett's "transition pay" benefit replaces severance
A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Job applications and phone calls going unanswered. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.[Image: today's front page, Newseum]
Monday, March 22, 2010
Layoffs | 'I know I am not alone, but it still hurts'
In another tragic post-layoff account, Anonymous@10:58 p.m. writes that they're 53 years old. Excerpts from their full comment:
These were suppose to be my prime earning years. Instead, I got laid off and have been out of work for about a year and a half. Exhausted all my unemployment. Savings will be gone in the next six months, maybe a year if I stretch it. . . . Despite having a wide range of skills and a vast managerial background, I have not had a single offer. I know I am not alone, but it still hurts. I've been willing to relocate, even though that wouldn't be easy. Still, I can't find anything in or outside of the industry. Non-newspaper jobs aren't as willing as they once were to take a chance on people wanting to transition to other professions. That's a simple fact. Not a reflection of me or my efforts. . . . I get upset when I hear the word layoff. Layoffs always meant that when conditions improved, competent ex-employees would be rehired. Does anyone know of a single layoff victim who has been rehired by Gannett? Any over the age of 50?
A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Job applications and phone calls going unanswered. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
These were suppose to be my prime earning years. Instead, I got laid off and have been out of work for about a year and a half. Exhausted all my unemployment. Savings will be gone in the next six months, maybe a year if I stretch it. . . . Despite having a wide range of skills and a vast managerial background, I have not had a single offer. I know I am not alone, but it still hurts. I've been willing to relocate, even though that wouldn't be easy. Still, I can't find anything in or outside of the industry. Non-newspaper jobs aren't as willing as they once were to take a chance on people wanting to transition to other professions. That's a simple fact. Not a reflection of me or my efforts. . . . I get upset when I hear the word layoff. Layoffs always meant that when conditions improved, competent ex-employees would be rehired. Does anyone know of a single layoff victim who has been rehired by Gannett? Any over the age of 50?
A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Job applications and phone calls going unanswered. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Layoffs | 'I lost my job, house, sense of purpose'
In a heartbreaking comment, Anonymous@11:09 p.m. yesterday writes about the consequences of being laid off in their 50s:
It sickens me to see the leaders in this company rewarded for throwing me out of a profession that I gave a good portion of my life to. The fact that they prosper and sleep well at night while I and many others still look for work are indications of how evil they are. Do these heartless people know how hard it is to find work in one's 50s? The layoffs of 2008 and 2009 were morally criminal and will leave a stain on Gannett for many years. I lost my job, my friends, my house and my sense of purpose. My family has suffered, too. I never made much money in the newspaper biz, but I never thought it would end this way. It's been virtually impossible to find my way back into the profession despite years of experience. I am close to giving up. The fact that Gannett targeted a lot of experienced employees might have been good for business in that we earned a bit more than entry-level workers, but it has devastated so many people who have nowhere to turn anymore and have run out of hope and options.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
It sickens me to see the leaders in this company rewarded for throwing me out of a profession that I gave a good portion of my life to. The fact that they prosper and sleep well at night while I and many others still look for work are indications of how evil they are. Do these heartless people know how hard it is to find work in one's 50s? The layoffs of 2008 and 2009 were morally criminal and will leave a stain on Gannett for many years. I lost my job, my friends, my house and my sense of purpose. My family has suffered, too. I never made much money in the newspaper biz, but I never thought it would end this way. It's been virtually impossible to find my way back into the profession despite years of experience. I am close to giving up. The fact that Gannett targeted a lot of experienced employees might have been good for business in that we earned a bit more than entry-level workers, but it has devastated so many people who have nowhere to turn anymore and have run out of hope and options.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
USAT | Why it's better to cover Olympics solo
From a story today on New York magazine's website by Dan Friedell, a USA Today reporter who covered three previous Olympics (including two for NBC) before USAT laid him off in December:While there's something magical about having the "infinity" credential of big media at the Olympics (its presence around your neck allows you to go just about everywhere and anywhere, for free), the fact that I don't have it this time around has given me a new appreciation for the event that is the Games.
Got a Gannett survivor success story to share? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
[Image: cover of New York's current print edition]
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Detroit | Add another name to layoff list: The Yak
[Yuck, yuck: Curtis yacked with former Freep mascot]
Former Detroit Free Press photographer Rodney Curtis wrote about getting laid off last summer. Now, he recalls another victim of that paper's June downsizing: the costumed employee who worked as the Freep's mascot, The Yak. On his blog, Curtis posted an interview he did with said Yak before a recent mascot basketball game at the University of Detroit. Plus, he's got video of the game!
A Yak for a mascot?
Curtis tells me in an e-mail that the costumed employee ("real yak hair, seriously") promoted a weekly section with comics, games and other features appealing to children.
Does your worksite have a mascot? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write jimhopkins[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the rail, upper right.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Op View | 'I am one of those who get to tell people they are gone. I didn't get to say who -- I was told'
Anonymous@10:10 a.m. writes:
These people are my friends and valued co-workers. If I had any options, I'd quit -- but I wouldn't even get unemployment then.
I am furious that it has come to this, and I blame top management for a lot of it. The economy has a part, but the string of stupid decisions that have come from corporate are unforgiveable. They have forgotten, or never cared, that we have an obligation and a reponsibility that go beyond just making a dollar. And they never wanted to hear anyone question the decisions. If you dared, you were told that perhaps you worked for the wrong company -- which turns out to be true.
Some of the other media companies that went down at least went down trying to maintain standards. Gannett is going down as if planned. Who will profit from that? I think it is a question that should be thoroughly investigated.
Those of you are gone or leaving today, I am so sorry. But it is likely to be worse for those left behind.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
These people are my friends and valued co-workers. If I had any options, I'd quit -- but I wouldn't even get unemployment then.
I am furious that it has come to this, and I blame top management for a lot of it. The economy has a part, but the string of stupid decisions that have come from corporate are unforgiveable. They have forgotten, or never cared, that we have an obligation and a reponsibility that go beyond just making a dollar. And they never wanted to hear anyone question the decisions. If you dared, you were told that perhaps you worked for the wrong company -- which turns out to be true.
Some of the other media companies that went down at least went down trying to maintain standards. Gannett is going down as if planned. Who will profit from that? I think it is a question that should be thoroughly investigated.
Those of you are gone or leaving today, I am so sorry. But it is likely to be worse for those left behind.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
LayoffStories | First, his daughters helped him cry
Part of an occasional series of personal accounts by readers. Rodney Curtis, 46, says he "got the ol' heave-ho from the Detroit Free Press on Friday. Actually, it was pretty humane." Following is his stream of consciousness as the process unfolded.
Am I getting a gold watch? Wow, the HR lady’s kinda hot. Breathe, Rodney, breathe. They all look so sad; make 'em laugh. Ha, they liked the gold watch joke. That guac from the party’s gonna go bad if this takes too long. Push Spiritual Wanderer, push Spiritual Wanderer. What does COBRA stand for? Joke about stealing pens. Don't tell 'em about Sharpies. Top boss banters with me about there not being ink in the pens. Phwew, Sharpies are safe. Breathe, breathe, breathe. This is it. This is the end of the career.
How long does guacamole last in this heat? Gotta buy a lottery ticket. Seriously, listen to the COBRA spiel. Keep the humor up. Do I hug? If one, then everyone. Top boss reflects on me correcting his tip during our dinner interview three years ago. Says he knew he'd hire me then and there. Should I correct him about something now? They look so serious. Oh, oh, HR lady is nervous; shaky hands give it away. Humor, jokes, feign interest in Employee Assistance program. Do COBRAs bite or squeeze?
Remember to thank sweet daughters for helping me cry earlier so I don’t now. Do I sign something? Hey, you forgot to take my ID card. It's ending. Career and this exit interview. Guac's probably a goner too. It’s hot. Maybe it's the HR lady. Breathe. Why are they looking at me? Should I say something? Is it my turn to get up and sing? Do I leave? What do I do? Take bull by the horns. Start hugging. Surprises 'em. Ha, hot HR lady says she wants one too.
SCORE!
(Hours later, more Mexican food. Guac's fine.)
Curtis is a recovering photo editor, and a writer. Sample chapters from his new book and new life at www.SpiritualWanderer.com.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Am I getting a gold watch? Wow, the HR lady’s kinda hot. Breathe, Rodney, breathe. They all look so sad; make 'em laugh. Ha, they liked the gold watch joke. That guac from the party’s gonna go bad if this takes too long. Push Spiritual Wanderer, push Spiritual Wanderer. What does COBRA stand for? Joke about stealing pens. Don't tell 'em about Sharpies. Top boss banters with me about there not being ink in the pens. Phwew, Sharpies are safe. Breathe, breathe, breathe. This is it. This is the end of the career.How long does guacamole last in this heat? Gotta buy a lottery ticket. Seriously, listen to the COBRA spiel. Keep the humor up. Do I hug? If one, then everyone. Top boss reflects on me correcting his tip during our dinner interview three years ago. Says he knew he'd hire me then and there. Should I correct him about something now? They look so serious. Oh, oh, HR lady is nervous; shaky hands give it away. Humor, jokes, feign interest in Employee Assistance program. Do COBRAs bite or squeeze?
Remember to thank sweet daughters for helping me cry earlier so I don’t now. Do I sign something? Hey, you forgot to take my ID card. It's ending. Career and this exit interview. Guac's probably a goner too. It’s hot. Maybe it's the HR lady. Breathe. Why are they looking at me? Should I say something? Is it my turn to get up and sing? Do I leave? What do I do? Take bull by the horns. Start hugging. Surprises 'em. Ha, hot HR lady says she wants one too.
SCORE!
(Hours later, more Mexican food. Guac's fine.)
Curtis is a recovering photo editor, and a writer. Sample chapters from his new book and new life at www.SpiritualWanderer.com.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
'They can see the anguish, but they cannot feel it'
The following is by former editorial page editor and religion writer Shirley Ragsdale, who retired last year after working at Gannett newspapers in Oklahoma, Indiana, South Dakota and Iowa.
Few people appreciate the desperation felt by the millions of workers getting laid off by virtually every company. Large or small, business owners are shedding employees in hopes of saving their investment. And all those people are a potent force, if they get mad enough; we've tasted a bit of it on this blog.
When I was a reporter at my first job, I also shot photographs. I had a certain mindset that allowed me to take photos of dead bodies without feeling a thing. I was behind the lens, so it didn't seem "real." I said to myself, "they're already dead," so they might not notice this final indignity. It was as if watching something through a pane of glass: The humanity was on one side of the pane, and the tragedy was on the other.
I have come to believe that corporate executives experience the same out-of-body experience when it comes to managing their businesses. They, their families and their lifestyles are on one side of the glass. Employees and entities owned by the corporation are on the other. They can see the anguish, but they cannot appreciate or feel it.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Few people appreciate the desperation felt by the millions of workers getting laid off by virtually every company. Large or small, business owners are shedding employees in hopes of saving their investment. And all those people are a potent force, if they get mad enough; we've tasted a bit of it on this blog.When I was a reporter at my first job, I also shot photographs. I had a certain mindset that allowed me to take photos of dead bodies without feeling a thing. I was behind the lens, so it didn't seem "real." I said to myself, "they're already dead," so they might not notice this final indignity. It was as if watching something through a pane of glass: The humanity was on one side of the pane, and the tragedy was on the other.
I have come to believe that corporate executives experience the same out-of-body experience when it comes to managing their businesses. They, their families and their lifestyles are on one side of the glass. Employees and entities owned by the corporation are on the other. They can see the anguish, but they cannot appreciate or feel it.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Friday, December 05, 2008
Layoff stories: 'Well, they decided to keep you'
Part of an occasional series of personal accounts by readers. This was written by a recently hired employee who survived the layoff.
It's Tuesday afternoon. The oppressive weight of the empty desks to my left and right permeates my thoughts. My eyes blur in and out of focus as I stare at the slow and steady blinking of my cursor at the abrupt termination of a partially written sentence. Like a metronome, or maybe the pendulum of some unseen grandfather clock ticking towards deadline, that blink is perhaps the only constant I know in our newsroom.
My editor's voice cuts through the haze of my swirling thoughts. "We have to do your evaluation."
I follow her to a glass-walled office and sit with my back to the newsroom. Somewhere behind me are the empty desks, toppled Rolodexes and blank computer screens. I don't want to look at them, but they fill my mind.
My editor slides a manila folder across the table -- my three month evaluation.
I knew it was coming. I'd planned out questions to ask and suggestions to make and crafted feedback carefully to be as constructive as possible, but those thoughts were gone. Replacing them were images of cardboard boxes and empty desks scattered with business cards.
"Well, they decided to keep you."
I looked at the words printed in bold letters in front of me. Something about feature writing and databases and initiative. I think about one of the Life editors I saw crying in the parking lot when I got to work that morning, and the empty desks to my left and right.
On the right was the business editor who liked my photos and once told me how she could hear my voice when she read my feature stories. On the left was the Neighbors editor who would chat about philosophy with me when we both worked late, and gave me tongue-in-cheek advice about how to succeed as a journalist. I'll never forget them.
I sign and date on a line at the bottom of my evaluation. I think of my friends who also signed on the line that day.
"This means you qualify for health insurance now," my editor tells me.
I wonder for how long.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
[Image: Another Cube, by San Jose Mercury News designer Martin Gee. It's from his Reduction In Force page on Flickr -- photos of the Silicon Valley paper's newsroom after endless rounds of layoffs]
It's Tuesday afternoon. The oppressive weight of the empty desks to my left and right permeates my thoughts. My eyes blur in and out of focus as I stare at the slow and steady blinking of my cursor at the abrupt termination of a partially written sentence. Like a metronome, or maybe the pendulum of some unseen grandfather clock ticking towards deadline, that blink is perhaps the only constant I know in our newsroom.
My editor's voice cuts through the haze of my swirling thoughts. "We have to do your evaluation."
I follow her to a glass-walled office and sit with my back to the newsroom. Somewhere behind me are the empty desks, toppled Rolodexes and blank computer screens. I don't want to look at them, but they fill my mind.My editor slides a manila folder across the table -- my three month evaluation.
I knew it was coming. I'd planned out questions to ask and suggestions to make and crafted feedback carefully to be as constructive as possible, but those thoughts were gone. Replacing them were images of cardboard boxes and empty desks scattered with business cards.
"Well, they decided to keep you."
I looked at the words printed in bold letters in front of me. Something about feature writing and databases and initiative. I think about one of the Life editors I saw crying in the parking lot when I got to work that morning, and the empty desks to my left and right.
On the right was the business editor who liked my photos and once told me how she could hear my voice when she read my feature stories. On the left was the Neighbors editor who would chat about philosophy with me when we both worked late, and gave me tongue-in-cheek advice about how to succeed as a journalist. I'll never forget them.
I sign and date on a line at the bottom of my evaluation. I think of my friends who also signed on the line that day.
"This means you qualify for health insurance now," my editor tells me.
I wonder for how long.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.[Image: Another Cube, by San Jose Mercury News designer Martin Gee. It's from his Reduction In Force page on Flickr -- photos of the Silicon Valley paper's newsroom after endless rounds of layoffs]
Hattiesburg: We now have an equally sad answer
In the layoff run-up, I read several comments posing a desperate-sounding question: Does anyone know anything about Hattiesburg? That's Mississippi's small Hattiesburg American, of course, in what I called "S.O.S. signals'' in this episode of Gannett Blog TV.
So, all this week, I watched Hattiesburg. Yet, even though I expected bad news, it was still shocking to see: The American is shutting down its presses in February, and moving production to The Clarion-Ledger, 100 miles north in Jackson. The switch wipes out 38 jobs -- more than 20% of the paper's workforce. The American is joining a growing number of papers that are economizing, by junking their presses.
So, all this week, I watched Hattiesburg. Yet, even though I expected bad news, it was still shocking to see: The American is shutting down its presses in February, and moving production to The Clarion-Ledger, 100 miles north in Jackson. The switch wipes out 38 jobs -- more than 20% of the paper's workforce. The American is joining a growing number of papers that are economizing, by junking their presses.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Layoff stories: A sleepless night, then 'tears of joy'
Part of an occasional series of personal accounts by readers.
I was tipped off Monday night that I would be dumped after seven successful years with the company. I'm young, underpaid and have always produced. That night I slept in 10-minute bursts, with constant dreams that my wife was getting ready for work and I wasn't.
But the forewarning enabled me to be numb through the meeting with HR on Tuesday. The few who were staying seemed more broken up than those of us going. As soon as the HR lady finished wielding her axe, I hit the ground running scrounging for jobs. I remained stone-faced until I got to the car and saw a bunch of reporters' notebooks strewn in the back seat. That set me off a bit realizing my career as a reporter -- the only thing I've done for more than a decade -- was likely over.
By the time I finished the half-hour drive home, I had calls and messages indicating my prospects for employment were surprisingly good. The tears of sadness became tears of joy later in the afternoon with all the calls of support I received -- especially from those who I've hammered in my stories over the years. It made me feel good that they thought I was tough but fair.
I'm sad for the newspaper industry, sad that I'll no longer be part of whatever that future includes and more sad for those left behind who have to try to carry on. I'm going to be fine -- just in a different career. On Monday I was covering a political story, 24 hours later I was looking to switch teams. What a strange week.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
[Photo: Amazon]
I was tipped off Monday night that I would be dumped after seven successful years with the company. I'm young, underpaid and have always produced. That night I slept in 10-minute bursts, with constant dreams that my wife was getting ready for work and I wasn't.
But the forewarning enabled me to be numb through the meeting with HR on Tuesday. The few who were staying seemed more broken up than those of us going. As soon as the HR lady finished wielding her axe, I hit the ground running scrounging for jobs. I remained stone-faced until I got to the car and saw a bunch of reporters' notebooks strewn in the back seat. That set me off a bit realizing my career as a reporter -- the only thing I've done for more than a decade -- was likely over.By the time I finished the half-hour drive home, I had calls and messages indicating my prospects for employment were surprisingly good. The tears of sadness became tears of joy later in the afternoon with all the calls of support I received -- especially from those who I've hammered in my stories over the years. It made me feel good that they thought I was tough but fair.
I'm sad for the newspaper industry, sad that I'll no longer be part of whatever that future includes and more sad for those left behind who have to try to carry on. I'm going to be fine -- just in a different career. On Monday I was covering a political story, 24 hours later I was looking to switch teams. What a strange week.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.[Photo: Amazon]
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Layoff stories: 'I am a newspaperman. Well, I was'
Part of an occasional series of personal accounts by readers. This was posted by Indianapolis Star reporter Christopher Lloyd, earlier today.
I walked in the door home a few minutes ago, kissed my wife, and since I don't know what else to do but be a journalist, I'll report:
The bosses at the Indy Star are handling it fairly well, compared to some other shops. No bum's rush out the door or anything. Handshakes, pleasantries, all that. Take your time gathering your things.
The first few minutes after you get back from HR on the 6th floor are interesting. Everyone can see the gray folder in your hand, and some people start avoiding eye contact. Most, though, soon approach and offer their condolences. Not a few hugs are exchanged. Our theater and classical music writer, an absolute workhorse who gave me a very classy goodbye, soon got the call himself. He had to take a minute and down some caffeine before going up.
My last act as an employee was to call an author I’d scheduled an interview with next week to cancel. I’d been pursuing that source for the better part of a year, dropping off materials for her to read and calling every few weeks to convince her to sit down. My persistence paid off and I was finally going to nail the interview, but now it’ll never happen. She reminded me not to forget to return the two books she’d loaned me to read.
Like most people in the Star newsroom, I’d preemptively packed up a bunch of stuff. All I really had left was a bunch of clip files and archives of the entertainment section, of which I was the editor for nearly two years.
'I am not ready'
Newspapers are surprisingly heavy, especially when you’re carrying them to your car on your last walk out of the building. It’s funny; we think of newspapers as being so insubstantial, so temporary in their usefulness, soon to be discarded for the next batch. It’s only when you gather them up together that their corporeal heft is plain. I look at what I wrote over the past year, and it’s at least two novels worth of words.
A writer? I never considered myself as such. I am a newspaperman. Well, I was. I don’t know what I am now. In this market, I know what my chances are of landing another newspaper gig. I have to face that this is probably the end of my journalism career -- it goes without saying that I am not ready.
But there are hundreds of us today, thousands. My story is not special. But I still wanted to tell it, because that’s what I do. Did.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
[Image: today's front page, Newseum]
I walked in the door home a few minutes ago, kissed my wife, and since I don't know what else to do but be a journalist, I'll report:
The bosses at the Indy Star are handling it fairly well, compared to some other shops. No bum's rush out the door or anything. Handshakes, pleasantries, all that. Take your time gathering your things.
The first few minutes after you get back from HR on the 6th floor are interesting. Everyone can see the gray folder in your hand, and some people start avoiding eye contact. Most, though, soon approach and offer their condolences. Not a few hugs are exchanged. Our theater and classical music writer, an absolute workhorse who gave me a very classy goodbye, soon got the call himself. He had to take a minute and down some caffeine before going up.My last act as an employee was to call an author I’d scheduled an interview with next week to cancel. I’d been pursuing that source for the better part of a year, dropping off materials for her to read and calling every few weeks to convince her to sit down. My persistence paid off and I was finally going to nail the interview, but now it’ll never happen. She reminded me not to forget to return the two books she’d loaned me to read.
Like most people in the Star newsroom, I’d preemptively packed up a bunch of stuff. All I really had left was a bunch of clip files and archives of the entertainment section, of which I was the editor for nearly two years.
'I am not ready'
Newspapers are surprisingly heavy, especially when you’re carrying them to your car on your last walk out of the building. It’s funny; we think of newspapers as being so insubstantial, so temporary in their usefulness, soon to be discarded for the next batch. It’s only when you gather them up together that their corporeal heft is plain. I look at what I wrote over the past year, and it’s at least two novels worth of words.
A writer? I never considered myself as such. I am a newspaperman. Well, I was. I don’t know what I am now. In this market, I know what my chances are of landing another newspaper gig. I have to face that this is probably the end of my journalism career -- it goes without saying that I am not ready.
But there are hundreds of us today, thousands. My story is not special. But I still wanted to tell it, because that’s what I do. Did.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.[Image: today's front page, Newseum]
Layoff stories: 'He didn't know either one of us'
Part of an occasional series. At a medium-sized Gannett newspaper, a senior manager entered the newsroom, and whispered quietly to a junior manager in plain view of other people nearby.
Then the senior manager asked me to make the long march to a distant office where he and the head of HR told me my job had been eliminated. I found out later why he stopped to whisper to the junior manager before coming to my desk: He had to ask her which one I was. I worked there two years and I was sitting next to another employee who has worked there more than 10 years, and he didn't know either one of us.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Then the senior manager asked me to make the long march to a distant office where he and the head of HR told me my job had been eliminated. I found out later why he stopped to whisper to the junior manager before coming to my desk: He had to ask her which one I was. I worked there two years and I was sitting next to another employee who has worked there more than 10 years, and he didn't know either one of us.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Layoff stories: 'She was the only one close to tears'
First in an occasional series of personal accounts.
I sat across from Executive Editor and heard words: restructuring, position, sorry, future. I said nothing. I listened to HR woman painfully recite her lines and all I could think was: her day is as bad as ours. She was the only one close to tears. I walked back to my desk to get my things and gave my colleagues a sad smile. I said nothing. I started forwarding emails to my editor, tying up loose ends and then I thought: just say nothing.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
I sat across from Executive Editor and heard words: restructuring, position, sorry, future. I said nothing. I listened to HR woman painfully recite her lines and all I could think was: her day is as bad as ours. She was the only one close to tears. I walked back to my desk to get my things and gave my colleagues a sad smile. I said nothing. I started forwarding emails to my editor, tying up loose ends and then I thought: just say nothing.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in two or three paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
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