Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Anybody want to work just 32 hours per week?

Alt-weekly gets copy of staff memo that includes some ominous hints ...

http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2009/01/the_media_crunch.aspx

 

If I was in that situation, at that paper, (and much younger) I'd drop a day and go tend bar or serve coffee one day a week every other week. Just a job where I'd totally get lost in it, have fun, whatever. And then I'd enjoy a three-day weekend every other week.

 

I bet the people who volunteer to work 30 or 32 will end up feeling pressured to "get the job done" in ways that will result in them working 40 or more and being paid for 30 or 32. Because, you know, you don't get into this line of work for the money.

Not a bad plan, Pete. I think I'd enroll in classes on the days off.

 

Johnny may be right. But given the choice between a 32-hour week and a job, or a 40-hour week and then no job, that's pretty much a no-brainer.
If my paper offered something like that, I'd seriously consider it, and use the fifth day to either work part-time or to work on freelance stuff. And I bet you'd get a lot of people with kids who'd gladly get out at 3 instead of 5, which we all know is really at least 6 most days.

 

Oh, no doubt. Not arguing that at all. There were many times during my career when I would have agreed to work 30 or 32 hours per week.

 

Can't imagine there's too many bars or coffee shops that want an employee to work one day every other week.

 

I don't know anyone in journalism who only works 40 hours a week. Paying people for only 32 hours might make that happen.

 

Disgraceful because as many said, the person would still be working 40-60 hours a week, now only getting paid for 32. That is, if the person works in sports, the toy store where we are expected to work 60 and get paid for 40.

 

Hi Dan,

I'm CM Punk, and I only work 40 hours per week because that is all they pay me. Damn proud of it, too.

If I'm asked to drop to four days per week or 32 hours or whatever, fine. They're doing it in classified and circ. right now. I'll take the day off to bump up my course load this semester and get out faster.

 

The official paper of Arkansas and even they can't get it right. Jeebus Cripes, we're all headed down the sinkhole.

 

Cutting work week to 32 hours or work day to six hours?

This is a chance to live like a Parisian without ever leaving Arkansas. Strong!

 

I worked there for a brief time 15 years ago and even then they had desk guys clocking out and going right back to their desks for another two or three hours.

But I guess we should give the paper credit for at least offering the option. How many of us have said they should offer to let people take paycuts, switch beats, etc. before just starting in with layoffs? My magazine went through some layoffs recently and refused to let the top guys take paycuts in order to save jobs. And they paid one employee 31 weeks of severance (one week per year worked with no cap) to go away. At that rate, they might as well have let her work half the year and see if things improved.