Diane Pucin cut by LA Times

It's not about how hard an employee is willing to work, or what they might or might not be willing/able to do. It's what the company perceives to be the case.

You really don't think companies don't think younger folks can and are more willing/eager and able to do the kinds of constant social media, videography and graphics work that is needed and prevalent in this business today? Even if it does open up a company to possible age-discrimination lawsuits? Companies make assumptions and presumptions about people all the time when it comes to hirings, firings, layoffs and the like.

But, as I said, what difference does that make if they're pretty sure nobody's going to follow through and actually sue? And nobody who hopes to still work in the business will do it.

And yes, I'm guessing that somebody who has been at a paper for a long time, whose identity is probably wrapped up in it, who is at a place that most would consider a destination paper, and who probably wasn't at all interested in going anywhere else -- say, someone like Pucin -- probably would be willing to take a pay cut rather than be put out of a job completely or forced out of someplace they never wanted to leave in the first place.

 

LOL. Where were you in the fight over ObamaCare? You just handed over all kinds of power to the government. And, if you die, it saves money.

 

The company also probably doesn't want someone there who has taken a paycut because that employee can hurt employee morale just by being there. If they're laid off, then it's out of sight, out of mind.

 

Love how everyone ignored that I said she was fired with cause and went on arguing about their personal feelings on corporate cutbacks, along with younger and cheaper workers.

 

Never give back money. Never.

When does the CEO take a pay cut?

I'd rather find another job. And I did.

 

I was starting to think I had imagined that post.

 

That's because unless you know the cause/circumstances, and are willing to post, it's difficult, and not really right, either, to discuss it.

Some causes are worse, and would matter more, than others. But, as I wrote, any involuntary termination, legally, has to have a cause, and sometimes, it is just a trumped-up bunch of garbage. So, without that little piece of information, speculation is unfair to the person involved.

 

If you're good, you can find something, even if you sue. Just look at what Whitlock did to ESPN, the Kansas City Star, etc. You may not get something as great, but you could still find something pretty good.

 

As someone else suggested, it rarely works out when you give a long-time, veteran employee the option of being laid off or applying for another job at the company that pays significantly less. Somebody earning $75,000 a year isn't going to be satisfied being cut to $40,000. Sure, the employee might say to himself, "but at least it's better than zero."

Well, in the long run it isn't. I've hired, fired and laid off lots of people, but I have always felt it best to fight for the best separation package I could for the employee and let them move on with their lives.

And as far as suing, forget it. Complete waste of time unless you have a clear-cut case. For example a person fired for being a whistleblower has good leverage for a settlement -- if he has information to reveal that might bring down other people.

Suing on the base of some form of discrimination can take forever. In most states you must first file a complaint with a state or federal agency before you can sue. Then you'll need a good attorney, who will ask you to pay up front. Meanwhile, the paper's corporate attorneys will stonewall you until you run out of money. If you've got a legitimate case and the time, patience and money to see the case through, then great. Bust most people don't. Also, just because you are over 55 and laid off doesn't mean you were a victim of age discrimination.

 

http://www.shermanreport.com/diane-pucin-on-being-fired-from-los-angeles-times-experience-efforts-suddenly-dont-matter/

 

That’s how newspapers work now I guess. We writers get older and a little more expensive as we get more experienced but our efforts, our history, our accomplishments, they suddenly don’t matter.

Did they ever matter? Bean counters don't stop and say, "Whoa, this bean won an award - better not count that one."

 

Let me try to follow this premise, because I think I might be going crazy or I'm reading this wrong.

She thinks that if she would have been on the 9/11 plane, she would have been sacrificing for the LA Times?

Holy hell. Now I'm starting to think she was fired because she's delusional.