In what would be a second recent case of a Gannett paper asking editorial employees to reapply for work, a reader told me the following today about the Fort Collins Coloradoan:
"All exempt editors' jobs have been posted to the public. Current editors have been told they can apply to be editors or take a salary cut as reporters, but that some may not come out at the end with jobs. They have been told Gannett is watching them as a model, so expect the model to be used elsewhere to reduce the number of exempt editors, reduce salaries. When Gannett said they would make new investments in the newsrooms, apparently this was the plan to cut out older, better-paid editors."
Indeed, searching CareerBuilder, I found the paper had posted five editing jobs today and yesterday:
Reorgs amid buyouts
Also, last summer, Florida Today in Brevard went through a similar reorganization of its newsroom that included the elimination of about 25% of its jobs, reportedly reducing the staff size to 57 positions.
These reorganizations come as U.S. newspaper division employees weigh 665 buyout offers made to further reduce payroll costs across newsrooms and other departments; the deadline to apply for those buyouts is the end of this month.
The Coloradoan's circulation: weekdays, 20,601; Sundays, 26,079.
Indeed, searching CareerBuilder, I found the paper had posted five editing jobs today and yesterday:
- Senior Editor/Platforms
- Editor/Living Local
- Editor/Government, Environment & Growth
- Editor/Active Life & Sports
- Senior Editor/Content
Reorgs amid buyouts
Also, last summer, Florida Today in Brevard went through a similar reorganization of its newsroom that included the elimination of about 25% of its jobs, reportedly reducing the staff size to 57 positions.
These reorganizations come as U.S. newspaper division employees weigh 665 buyout offers made to further reduce payroll costs across newsrooms and other departments; the deadline to apply for those buyouts is the end of this month.
The Coloradoan's circulation: weekdays, 20,601; Sundays, 26,079.
Be interesting to see those who get "rehired" end up with lower wages and fewer benefits.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a strategy aimed at thoee not eligible for the latest round of buyout offers.
ReplyDeleteAs a staff strategy, that's fairly galling as it reinforces the "you're just a number" mindset at Gannett.
ReplyDeleteI mean, what relevance do all the annual reviews have as a measurement of job performance when any employee with an obvious track record of "going above and beyond," rather than being repurposed (as it were), is required to reapply like someone who blew in off the street?
I witnessed this spetacle at my site earlier in both the Advertising and Production departments. Morale really soared. Not.
But Beusse and his deputy suits say it's not about money.
ReplyDeleteIf the procedure at the Coloradoan will be anything like at Florida Today don't expect to get a fair shake.
ReplyDelete"They" already know who to retain and it which positions. If you don't have the corporate spirit, you better polish your resume, because you will need it.
You can expect to see this approach coming to Advertising Departments very soon as well.
ReplyDeleteTwo of the postings, for senior content editor and active life and sports, can't even get the paper's address right. It gives the 9 News address in Denver, an hour away. Confidence-inspiring, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAt Florida Today they will let you reapply for the job but hey already know who they want-- don't let anything fool you, now would be the time to super brown nose if you really want to keep your job-- that's how that works -- honestly
ReplyDeleteI've seen it!
Also helps to be a mangers wife, girlfriend or boyfriend
As a long-time editor who had my job eliminated and then asked to reapply last summer at Florida Today, I can tell you with certainty I thought at the time the process was on the up-and-up. I was a conscientious and a hard worker, never caused any problems and went above and beyond my normal duties because that is my work ethic. Unfortunately the strike against me was that I was over the age of 50 and did not attend drinking parties with all the kids under the age of 30. So they cut me loose, awards and all, like I was garbage. What I learned was this "process" is all a Gannett sham to dispense of experienced staff and put the cash into corporate CEO bonuses and trips to golf tournaments and the Super Bowl for executives. My advice to others facing this "process" is do not believe for a moment this is legitimate. They already know who is going and who is staying and are right now preparing your "transitional pay packages." I wish you luck, but for many of you, your fate is already determined.
ReplyDeleteSo very true. So very sad.
DeleteThis is definitely true. Corp does try to out a good face on it by bringing in interviewers but most names have already had lines drawn for what position they will have going forward. Guess it's good practice for interviewing
DeleteFlorida TODAY wasn't the one to break ground on this personnel device. It was Westchester about three years ago, when everyone in news and advertising in Westchester, Putnam and Rockland got called to HQ on a Wednesday and told they had until that Friday to reapply for jobs with new, more tech-oriented descriptions. There would be interviews the next week and decisions the week after that. When the process was done, we were told, there would be 50 less in news and 20 less in advertising. They brought in HR people to handle first interviews of 200-300 candidates. Many in news had second interviews with editor Henry Freeman and a news department head. Decisions came the Wednesday after that -- notifications in person in Westchester, by phone elsewhere. Tense, tense afternoon. There had been some news layoffs before that, but that many losses in one shot was hard to take. Of course, there have been more since and now more will go with the buyout. Huge press lines are gone, printing outsourced and the building's been sold. Won't be long before news staff, once around 250, will fit on a bus. So corporate may bee looking for a new proving ground, but they're seen the results before and it wasn't pretty.
ReplyDeleteThis happened last year in Finance in Cincinnati.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Kate Marymont's role in all of this? Does she, as vice president/news, condone it? Is it her idea? Does she still look in the mirror in the morning while such a vicious process is being perpetrated upon Gannett newsrooms?
ReplyDeleteAll:
ReplyDeleteThia is not an attempt to get rid of older employees. It is a ruse to hide the true intent of layoffs and cutbacks, creating leaner operations and getting rid of people who don't fit or isn't liked without going through the legal hoops of a PIP.
So you may be liked or go to some events, but if you don't fit in with the new Gannett or your salary is just too high (regardless of age)for their new pay models, then you're vulnerable.
Don't be fooled by this shuffling. It is a de facto layoff/reduction in workforce without the stigma and with the appearance of transforming for the future.
The reality is current and future revenues do not support the operations and overhead of traditional media structures. The only way to get to that balance or new reality is by cutting people, overhead and other costs. Corporate knows this; It's been known for a while. They just lack the courage to do it out front.
Jim:
ReplyDeleteHopefully, my last comment went through anony...thx
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ReplyDeleteThe publisher at The Coloradoan has her FAVORITES. You KNOW who you are. No one else need apply.
ReplyDeleteThe annual reviews are a complete joke. Don't insult us with them while raises are frozen.
ReplyDeleteAnnual reviews? Are some places still doing annual reviews? Thank goodness my newsroom ignores that sham. Ever since they made it into a questionnaire designed to evaluate a receptionist's job it has been a useless gauge of journalistic performance. I can't remember when we quit doing them, but it was the only honest move this company has made in years. Performance review. Ha! They can't do that with any credibility while they're paying that $37m ransom to the father of non-performance.
ReplyDeleteSimilar process took place in the North Jersey newspapers when three sites were all rolled into Asbury Park ... many people forced to dance for their masters in hopes of landing one of a handful of positions.
ReplyDeleteYou thought it couldn't get worse? Good luck, everyone.
This happened to a family member, while employed with a government contractor. (Goverment contractors are continuously restructuring.) They had to re-interview for the available positions. She said it was extremely stressful... But, they did get one of the open positions.
ReplyDeleteThe photo on the Coloradoan jobs posting is of a building that has been vacant for years. Too funny.
ReplyDelete