Unbelievable happenings at the Star Ledger

This is one you have to read to believe and then walk away shaking your head.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003892766

 

This comes under the heading of "ways to know you work for a jerk."

http://www.newspapergrl.com/2006/11/is-your-boss-a-jerk/

Do You Work At The Jerk Store?

 

Hell, I'd kill for a job in the Plain-Dealer mailroom.

 

You know things are really changing -- for the worse -- when papers put out a list of who is not leaving, instead of who is.

Our version of spin, I guess...

 

Hey, I knew of a guy in the mailroom at Hudsucker Industries, and big things happened to him.

 

A couple of the sports names on the who is staying list applied for the buyout but were among those who were rejected.

As for the two assigned to the mailroom, we're not talking kids here. Mitch and Jason both have been there 25 years or more and have to be in their 50s.

 

Was just going to say the same.

With as much as folks have been shuffled around already, the NSL will be very lucky if half the "survivors" are still there by March 1. Folks are on GTFO mode.

 

You'll see the same thing happen at the Booth Newspapers in Michigan. Owned by Newhouse as well (or Alliance ... whatever they call themselves now).
Copy editors and page designers who don't take the current buyout could find themselves in the mail room, clerking or cleaning toilets. And not necessarily at their paper.

 

This is truly sickening. A new low. Nice to see it getting publicity though. I'm glad somebody got the news of this in print.

 

Working sorter, not harder.

 

To hell with the paper's "pledge" about not doing layoffs. This is a morale-crippler, to make journalists switch to roles such as mailroom or other support functions. No, it's not "beneath" anyone to work a so-called menial job, but it sure isn't what any of us signed on for or earned via good performance. And you don't see the department heads or head honchos taking their turns in the low-level jobs.

The place would be better off cutting people loose and paying a proper severance, than keeping them around and visible as what can happen to you ... and you ... and you ... if times get any tighter and we, in the glass offices, don't come up with any answers.

It's like slaughtering tonight's dinner right there in front of the other chickens.

 

In the same vein, I give you this item I found on Romenesko. Apparently, the bosses at the Longmont (Colo.) Times-Call have consulted the Cleo McDowell Handbook on Employee Relations:

http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2008/11/longmont_timescall_staffers_in.php