Taking -- or even worse, offering -- a pay cut

Self-flagellation always has been prominent in this business, but this is ridiculous:

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=77&aid=157169

From Poynter's Ask the Recruiter / Joe Grimm:

Should I Offer to Take a Pay Cut?
Q: ... In these uncertain times, should I offer to decline a raise or even take a pay cut in hopes that it might help save someone else's job? It may even help me become less of a target should the ax fall.

A: ... I felt much as you did when I was the recruiter at the Detroit Free Press. Twice, in tough years, I offered to have my pay frozen to do my bit to help out. Both times, the offer was politely declined by editors who said that this was not a prudent way to run a business.

Do my bit to help out? Is that the same bit that includes the managing editor's bonus for underspending the news-coverage budget, by not investing in investigative or enterprise projects? The same bit that pays for the publisher's season tickets to local teams' games?

 

Anyone else can volunteer for a pay cut. Just don't come looking for me to do the same.

 

Just offering to take a pay cut won't put you on the "No Cut List." Being a valuable employee and not in the bosses' doghouse will do that. They'll lay you off if they deem you expendable, whether you took one for the team or not.

 

Amen, Brother.

 

Taking one for the team is asinine. It won't help you or the team.

 

Absolutely 100 percent correct. Not to sound paranoid, but there are plenty of people in business looking to screw you. No need to screw yourself.

 

Don't do it.

 

No way I would take a pay cut, or decline a raise. A 4 percent raise on my salary won't do anything to save a position.

 

screw them.

 

IF it would save someone's job, I would consider a pay cut.
I would not offer it out of nowhere.

 

How are you gonna know that, though? Unless they come to you and say, "You take a pay cut or we lay off Brenda on the copy desk." If all they say is "Take a pay cut and maybe we can avoid layoffs," sorry, but there's not a newspaper executive in the world whom I would trust enough to believe that.

 

amen, slave