In total, about 30 jobs were eliminated, according to one of the readers; I haven't been able to confirm that figure yet, however.
The jobs cut were all across the company, from Corporate in McLean, Va., to individual newspapers and other worksites.
Newspaper cuts rise
Also today, a reader says six jobs were eliminated at Missouri's Springfield News-Leader during the recent round of layoffs and other reductions among the U.S. community dailies.
I've added this new information to my running tally of estimated layoffs and pay cuts during the job reduction that began Nov. 3. These figures are based on information supplied by my readers. (Site-by-site numbers.) As of 11:35 p.m. ET today:
- Newspapers reporting: 63 of 81
- Estimated job cuts so far: 249 (excludes USA Today's 130)
- Estimated papers imposing pay cuts: 6
Note: GCI has about 25,000 U.S. newspaper workers, out of a total 35,000 employees worldwide. (Breakdown by major division.)
Anything from Livingston County, Howell, Michigan? We don't see that paper listed on your tally.
ReplyDelete10:24: That was an oversight on my part. I've now added Howell, Mich., to the list. But I don't have any data for that site.
ReplyDeleteSo with USAT, we're now up to nearly 400 jobs lost this quarter. Glad the cuts weren't "significant."
ReplyDeleteActually, the USAT job cuts were booked in the third quarter, so their severance costs have already been reported.
ReplyDeleteIf you count the approximately 30 cuts in HR, the total in this quarter is about 280. We're still missing some papers, however, so the total could be closer to 300.
I shouldn't carry this grudge, but I have had such a bad experience with HR that this cut doesn't really hit any buttons.
ReplyDeleteRolling pea alert.
ReplyDelete12:57 p.m.: Have you ever been laid off? It's devastating for the individual and for their family -- especially when it comes late in life and in a terrible economy.
ReplyDeleteYes, I have been laid off, and I got another job within a week. My family didn't even notice it, and actually benefited because I had severance on top of a new paycheck.
ReplyDeleteIf Gannett's consolidation calls for a centralized HR, it seems like the company would now go from multiple sites to a single site as far as WARN notices and other liability goes.
ReplyDeleteWARN concerns where employees work when they're laid off, not where the layoff decisions are made.
ReplyDelete1:25 Then you couldn't have had a Gannett job, at least not recently, because your "severance" would end the moment you got another job. The TPP doesn't allow for double dipping. It tops off your unemployment. If you aren't qualified for unemployment, there's nothing to top off.
ReplyDeleteany word on Westchester HR?
ReplyDeleteSounds like the reason our HR guy, with many years of service to Gannett, was whisked off to Virginia for a corporate job a couple months ago. This was probably in the works for months.
ReplyDeleteAre the USAT and GCI HR departments being consolidated, or are they still run separately? Any idea how many HR cuts in Crystal Palace?
ReplyDeleteThis TPP is new. I do not recall layoffs being structured this way in the past, although I have to admit I never paid close attention to the mechanics.
ReplyDeleteThe traditional standards of the newspaper industry for firings or layoffs used to be two weeks of pay for every year of service. About a decade ago, I noted this was capped at so many years, typically a maximum of 26 weeks. What you got for unemployment insurance was not a consideration. There is no federal law covering severance, so companies are free to structure it as they want. The feds did change the law allowing you to continue health insurance as long as you paid the company's share, the HIPPA bill. Previous to that, you were on your own for health insurance.
TPP replaced severance starting with the July 2009 layoffs.
ReplyDelete@4:31 PM
ReplyDeleteAre you referring to the Krispy Kreme Donut guy?
That was hilarious, I'm surprised he survived that one. It was just a mistake though, oops.
So who has been taken out how about a roll call.
ReplyDeleteI would like to see if they kept the bad like they always do.
Of four MNCO HR employees, three were apparently able to interview successfully and keep a job, and one was not. No details have been provided on the restructuring except the timetable is generally December/January.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be shocked if a few dozen of these layoffs were so Gannett could hire its new CFO, Paul Saleh at $600K per year and a $150K signing bonus. This was announced this week, following layoffs the previous 2 weeks.
ReplyDeletea.) We lost our lone remaining HR person and I'm really unhappy about it. She busted her butt to be nice and helpful and proactive. This is the first layoff at our paper that I found outrageous. The others were peripheral people. This gal is critical.
ReplyDeleteb.) A $150k signing bonus isn't even notable.
TPP was the brainchild of some finance drone who had a his first original thought while eating his salami and cheese sandwich in the Gannett cafeteria. He couldn't contain his enthusiasm as he sprinted back to his darken cubicle to write an e-mail to his boss, who quickly passed it off as his own idea.
ReplyDelete