Friday, July 10, 2009
Farewell | Gannett Blog, by the numbers
[Final traffic report from Google Analytics; click for bigger view]
I started Gannett Blog on Sept. 11, 2007, and closed it July 10, 2009 at midnight ET. I'm no longer posting new comments. You'll occasionally see a few updates, as I complete unfinished business.
For readers interested in the latest company developments, I have enthusiastically endorsed Gannettoid.com, a site kept by a former Gannett employee since December 2008. Several other sites recently launched; in the years ahead, please search for others, too.
I keep an active Facebook page, and I microblog on Twitter at Ibizaconfidant and at (uh-oh!) Gannettblog.
Since September 2007, I published 3,499 posts of my own. My wonderful readers posted more than 50,000 comments. I can't add anything more, except: Thank you for your support. I have no regrets.
Publisher and Editor
Ibiza Town
Ibiza Town
Island of Ibiza, Spain
July 10, 2009
Earlier: Why I shut down this blog
Trolls Inc. | Take this with a grain of salt . . .
. . . because it's likely bullshit. Still, stranger things have happened in Corporate America. (Hewlett-Packard anyone?) Therefore, if you're so inclined, investors concerned about ongoing abuse of shareholder assets might consider contacting the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement.
In Gannett Blog's final minutes, Anonymous@11:56 p.m. wrote the following on this comment string, and apparently thought it might never be published:
In Gannett Blog's final minutes, Anonymous@11:56 p.m. wrote the following on this comment string, and apparently thought it might never be published:
"Might as well admit it in the last 5 minutes. Yes, Gannett paid people to trash the blog. And it was worth every penny. Easiest. Work. Ever. P.S.: If Jim extends the blog, you never read this."
Friday | Your Final Layoff News & Comments
Real Time Comments is parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.) Until midnight ET tonight, I'll keep a tally of job cuts, as you post in the comments section, below. As of 8:12 p.m. ET today. When possible, I'm relying on publisher's memos for these figures.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Newspapers
Reporting in: 58 of 84 (excludes USA Today and Newsquest)
Estimated jobs cut: 1,299
TV stations
Reporting in: 1
Estimated jobs cut: 2
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Part 3 | Friday's Layoff News & Comments
Less than four hours to post exclamation marks!!
This is about all I've got left to write, before closing up shop:
Better post now, while there's still time to beat back those trolls!!!!
OMG!!!
Better post now, while there's still time to beat back those trolls!!!!
Gannett layoffs and other cuts rocket past 1,300; As mass layoffs finish Day 2, 26 sites uncounted; Virtually no severance pay | Employees stunned
[Gannett's portfolio: 102 U.S. and U.K. dailies, 23 TV stations]
Updated at 8:12 p.m. today. For the latest numbers, please see the layoff tracker, top of page. This is the fifth and last in Gannett Blog's Roll Call series, where employees tally layoffs and other unannounced payroll cuts by the nation's No. 1 newspaper publisher: Gannett Co.Our story so far: More than 300 jobs in May and April. At least 2,200 in December. Approximately 100 directors in September. And the first big one: 1,000, last August. Overall, Gannett employs 41,500 worldwide. (Employment by division.)
Now, from Alexandria, La., to Zanesville, Ohio, we say goodbye to more co-workers. Including 85 U.S. dailies, 17 dailies in the U.K., and 23 TV stations, GCI subsidiaries have now said they plan to eliminate the following jobs in this round.
Using the following format, please post your worksite's figures in the comments section, below. ??? indicates missing or incomplete information. Cities are newspaper sites. Note: The figures below are based on publisher's memos, Gannett Blog reader posts, published stories (please provide links) and other sources.
- Alexandria, La.: 7 layoffs, or jobs cut
- Appleton, Wis.: 3
- Asbury Park, and five other N.J. dailies: 125
- Asheville, N.C.: 16
- Binghamton: 4
- Brevard: 23
- Bridgewater, N.J.: See, Asbury Park.
- Burlington, Vt.: 10
- Cherry Hill, N.J.: See, Asbury Park.
- Cincinnati: 101 (story)
- Des Moines: 42 (story)
- Detroit: 132 (including the DMP) (story)
- East Brunswick, N.J.: See, Asbury Park.
- Elmira, N.Y.: 6
- Fond du Lac: 2
- Fort Collins, Colo.:
- Fort Myers, Fla.: 45
- Great Falls, Mont.:
- Green Bay, Wisc.: 18 (story link)
- Greenville, S.C.: 7
- Guam: ???
- Hattiesburg, Miss.: 8
- Honolulu: 15
- Indianapolis: 37 (story)
- Jackson, Miss.: 20
- Jackson, Tenn. 21
- Lafayette, Ind.: 6 ???
- Lafayette, La.: 6
- Lancaster, Ohio: 2
- Lansing, Mich.: 26 (story)
- Louisville: 44 (story)
- Manitowac, Wisc.: 3
- Monroe, La.: 1
- Montgomery: 7
- Mountain Home, Ark.: 3
- Muncie, Ind.: 8
- Murfreesboro, Tenn.:
- Nashville, Tenn.: 60
- Opelousas, La.: ???
- Palm Springs, Calif.: 18
- Parsippany, N.J.: See, Asbury Park.
- Pensacola: 4 ???
- Phoenix: 113
- Port Clinton, Ohio: 4
- Port Huron, Mich.: 5
- Poughkeepsie, N.Y.: 16
- Reno: 15
- Richmond, Ind.: 10
- Rochester, N.Y.: 64
- St. Cloud, Minn.: 6
- Salem, Ore.: 7
- Salinas, Calif.:
- Salisbury, Md.: 30
- Sheboygan, Wisc.: 4
- Shreveport: 9
- Sioux Falls, S.D.: 25
- Somerville, N.J.: See, Asbury Park.
- Springfield, Mo.: 14
- Staunton, Va.: 4
- Tallahassee, Fla.: 26
- Tucson: about 60
- USA Today: ???
- Vineland, N.J.: See, Asbury Park.
- Wausau, Wisc.: 10
- Wilmington, Del.: 46
- WGRZ-TV: 2
- Zanesville, Ohio: 1
OMD! * | It's two more Gannett blog launches
(Updated at 2:39 p.m. ET.) For your consideration, the newly launched, The Deuce: Gannett Blog 2. From the introductory post:"I launched this last night and took it down; pondering the issues it has caused Jim. But I decided to move forward with it. I want this to continue the Hopkins Blog tradition, yet develop it's own identity."
Earlier: From the introductory post today, on Gannett Blog Deux:
I'll refine this site over the next day or so to make it look and feel like Jim Hopkins Gannett Blog, which everyone seemed to like because it was very easy to use. I have nothing against Gannettoid and hopefully we can work together towards a common goal of keeping active and former employees of the Gannett Company informed.
If you want to continue to participate in the tradition of Jim Hopkins, feel free to post your comments here. If after a week or two there is not much interest I'll simply shut it down.
Note that I will not identify myself at this time.
* Oh, mon dieu!
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Cincy | This publisher's layoff letter rings hollow
"We work for our advertisers."
-- Cincinnati Enquirer Publisher Margaret Buchanan, in a letter to readers, posted yesterday afternoon as the Ohio paper was laying off as many as 101 employees. On June 4, Corporate named Buchanan "the top publisher in U.S. Community Publishing, receiving the division’s President’s Ring. Buchanan also received the division's Signet Award, given to 10-time President’s Ring winners."
[Photo: Enquirer]
How to terminate Dubow's employment contract
It's all in an important clause, found in a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing about Chairman and CEO Craig Dubow's contract. Please see my new comment, here.Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Commentary | Turner on, 'The crimes of Gannett'
From a comment posted last night by reader Randy Turner, on the must-read Romenesko blog:
One thousand four hundred Gannett employees lose their jobs because of the inability of their executives to put their readers first. While Gannett employees have lost their jobs, served two weeks of unpaid furloughs, and watched as their reader base has eroded thanks to the elimination of dedicated employees, the Gannett officials responsible for providing themselves with millions of dollars worth of bonuses and coming up with crackpot revenue ideas like sending condoms and erotica advertisements to prospective college students in southwest Missouri, are still gainfully employed, and will undoubtedly will remain so in the future.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Commentary | Transitional Pay 101 -- in English!
Anonymous@12:28 p.m. has just posted the following primer on the severance benefit Gannett is now offering to laid-off employees.
My understanding of "transitional pay" is that instead of the company paying severance, it will make up the difference between your state's unemployment payment and your weekly pay. By using this program instead of a severance package, Gannett has shifted most of the burden of compensating laid-off workers to the state. That of course does mean that state and federal taxpayers ultimately foot most of Pay former Gannett workers will receive. As an aside, the company does pay a premium to the state for unemployment insurance and, like all other types of insurance, the rate increases when claims are made. So Gannett will pay more for its contribution to state unemployment through higher rates next quarter as a result of the transitional pay plan. But, obviously this is far less expensive than giving severance that includes weekly pay and insurance benefits.
Transitional pay differs from severance pay in several ways. For one, only workers eligible for unemployment will get anything from Gannett. No unemployment check = no company check. By comparison, those who received severance last year continued to collect their pay from the company even when they got new jobs or found freelance work. Transitional pay ends when you find work.
Transitional pay is 1 week for each year of service between 3 and 36 months. That means that anyone employed for less than three years is not eligible. When it runs out, you will likely still collect state unemployment. In Ohio, benefits run for 26 weeks. I don't know if that is true for all states. After that states normally offer at least one extention and the federal government offers two extentions.
You will automatically be eligible for transitional pay when you make your unemployment claim. To continue to be eligible for transitional pay, you must fulfill all state requirements for continued pay. You must also call Total Management Solutions, the company Gannett has contracted to administer the "Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Pay Plan," every week starting the second week of unemployment. Failure to do so will result in termination of eligibility and you will lose your right to any further payments.
Thanks to federal stimulus money, any state-required waiting period for your first check is gone. If you file(d) a claim with your state's unemployment office immediately upon learning of your termination, you should get a check on July 17.
Also thanks to the stimulus package, you will not have to pay into FICA (Social Security) during the transitional pay period and you will not be required to pay it when you file your 2009 taxes. That's an additional 7.65 percent of your gross pay that will go in your pocket.
I also read something that said the first $2,400 of your unemployment payments are not taxable. I believe that is also made available by the stimulus.
As for insurance, I was told that mine would end on Aug 1, unless I opted for COBRA. COBRA is the federal law that required employers to keep their laid-off employees on their group health plan for up to 18 months -- with the employee paying 100 percent of the premiums. The federal stimulus bill temporarily amended that. The federal government will pay 65 percent. The worker pays 35. I don't know if the length of time you can keep the coverage was extended under the new law. If I don't opt for COBRA by Aug. 1, I have 30 days to do so in order to have my coverage reinstated.
I hope this helps answer some of the questions I see out there.
Calling human resources!
Can any of you confirm -- and add details? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
My understanding of "transitional pay" is that instead of the company paying severance, it will make up the difference between your state's unemployment payment and your weekly pay. By using this program instead of a severance package, Gannett has shifted most of the burden of compensating laid-off workers to the state. That of course does mean that state and federal taxpayers ultimately foot most of Pay former Gannett workers will receive. As an aside, the company does pay a premium to the state for unemployment insurance and, like all other types of insurance, the rate increases when claims are made. So Gannett will pay more for its contribution to state unemployment through higher rates next quarter as a result of the transitional pay plan. But, obviously this is far less expensive than giving severance that includes weekly pay and insurance benefits.
Transitional pay differs from severance pay in several ways. For one, only workers eligible for unemployment will get anything from Gannett. No unemployment check = no company check. By comparison, those who received severance last year continued to collect their pay from the company even when they got new jobs or found freelance work. Transitional pay ends when you find work.
Transitional pay is 1 week for each year of service between 3 and 36 months. That means that anyone employed for less than three years is not eligible. When it runs out, you will likely still collect state unemployment. In Ohio, benefits run for 26 weeks. I don't know if that is true for all states. After that states normally offer at least one extention and the federal government offers two extentions.
You will automatically be eligible for transitional pay when you make your unemployment claim. To continue to be eligible for transitional pay, you must fulfill all state requirements for continued pay. You must also call Total Management Solutions, the company Gannett has contracted to administer the "Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Pay Plan," every week starting the second week of unemployment. Failure to do so will result in termination of eligibility and you will lose your right to any further payments.
Thanks to federal stimulus money, any state-required waiting period for your first check is gone. If you file(d) a claim with your state's unemployment office immediately upon learning of your termination, you should get a check on July 17.
Also thanks to the stimulus package, you will not have to pay into FICA (Social Security) during the transitional pay period and you will not be required to pay it when you file your 2009 taxes. That's an additional 7.65 percent of your gross pay that will go in your pocket.
I also read something that said the first $2,400 of your unemployment payments are not taxable. I believe that is also made available by the stimulus.
As for insurance, I was told that mine would end on Aug 1, unless I opted for COBRA. COBRA is the federal law that required employers to keep their laid-off employees on their group health plan for up to 18 months -- with the employee paying 100 percent of the premiums. The federal stimulus bill temporarily amended that. The federal government will pay 65 percent. The worker pays 35. I don't know if the length of time you can keep the coverage was extended under the new law. If I don't opt for COBRA by Aug. 1, I have 30 days to do so in order to have my coverage reinstated.
I hope this helps answer some of the questions I see out there.
Calling human resources!
Can any of you confirm -- and add details? Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Pence on why GCI chose severance outsourcer
New chief Corporate publicist Robin Pence also re-asserted that the current layoff target is 1,400 employees to be "impacted." It's all on Gannettoid.com's homepage.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Corporate-speak alert!
Your lender: "Now, why can't you pay your mortgage this month?"
Laid-off Gannett employee: "I got impacted."Your lender: "Now, why can't you pay your mortgage this month?"
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Here's what to ask the boss when you get laid off
Boss says: It's the economy, stupid. That's why we're taking away your job, giving you almost no severance pay, and forcing you on pricey COBRA health insurance plans.
You respond: Why does Chairman and CEO Craig Dubow, plus other retired executive officers, get all the goodies outlined in his employment contract, a document Gannett filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission?
Need proof? Here you go:
Dubow's 2005 employment contract, which he signed after the board of directors named him chief executive officer four years ago. Now 54, Dubow (left), and Chairman Doug McCorkindale (below) executed the 11-page contract on July 25, 2005; it was filed four days later at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Also signing for the company: James Johnson, then head of the board's compensation committee.
I'm a public documents junkie, so my eyes lit up when I saw this: Paragraph 8(b) Miscellaneous Additional Benefits, Post-Retirement. I quote: "After Dubow ceases full-time active employment (whether before or after reaching his normal retirement date) for any reason other than good cause as defined in Section 5(a)(iii), he shall receive all benefits afforded to other retired executive officers generally, as described in Exhibit A to this Agreement as such Exhibit A may be revised from time to time."
Exhibit A: CEO Retirement Benefits
This is the first time I've seen the generous "executive health insurance" promised to Dubow and his family. As near as I can tell, it's 100% company-paid, and good for the rest of their lives:
1. Life Insurance. The CEO owns a whole life insurance policy in an amount equal to 2 times salary and last bonus plus $200,000, or $300,000 if a member of both the Gannett Management Committee and Board of Directors. Gannett pays the policy premium. Upon retirement, the policy’s face amount reduces 10%, and 10% each year thereafter, to a minimum benefit of $350,000.
2. Travel Accident Insurance. The CEO receives insurance equal to 3 times salary and last bonus on a 24-hour business or pleasure basis. (This is in addition to the regular employee travel accident insurance benefit of 3 times salary and last bonus.) Upon retirement, the benefit ceases. However, if a retired CEO is asked to represent Gannett at a function or event and receives prior approval from the then-current CEO, travel accident insurance coverage of $1,000,000 will be provided while on business travel status.
3. Executive Health Insurance. The CEO receives supplemental health coverage with a maximum annual benefit of $25,000 per executive family. (This is in addition to the regular employee health insurance coverage.) Upon retirement, the maximum annual benefit remains unchanged. Upon death, the maximum annual family benefit for eligible dependents becomes $12,500 per year for life.
4. Company Automobile. Upon retirement, the company automobile is offered to the CEO at the fair market value.
5. Legal and Financial Services. Upon retirement, this benefit ceases on April 15 of the year of retirement or the year following retirement, depending on the actual retirement date.
(Click on screenshot, below, for bigger, more readable view)
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
You respond: Why does Chairman and CEO Craig Dubow, plus other retired executive officers, get all the goodies outlined in his employment contract, a document Gannett filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission?
Need proof? Here you go:
Dubow's 2005 employment contract, which he signed after the board of directors named him chief executive officer four years ago. Now 54, Dubow (left), and Chairman Doug McCorkindale (below) executed the 11-page contract on July 25, 2005; it was filed four days later at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Also signing for the company: James Johnson, then head of the board's compensation committee.
I'm a public documents junkie, so my eyes lit up when I saw this: Paragraph 8(b) Miscellaneous Additional Benefits, Post-Retirement. I quote: "After Dubow ceases full-time active employment (whether before or after reaching his normal retirement date) for any reason other than good cause as defined in Section 5(a)(iii), he shall receive all benefits afforded to other retired executive officers generally, as described in Exhibit A to this Agreement as such Exhibit A may be revised from time to time."Exhibit A: CEO Retirement Benefits
This is the first time I've seen the generous "executive health insurance" promised to Dubow and his family. As near as I can tell, it's 100% company-paid, and good for the rest of their lives:
1. Life Insurance. The CEO owns a whole life insurance policy in an amount equal to 2 times salary and last bonus plus $200,000, or $300,000 if a member of both the Gannett Management Committee and Board of Directors. Gannett pays the policy premium. Upon retirement, the policy’s face amount reduces 10%, and 10% each year thereafter, to a minimum benefit of $350,000.
2. Travel Accident Insurance. The CEO receives insurance equal to 3 times salary and last bonus on a 24-hour business or pleasure basis. (This is in addition to the regular employee travel accident insurance benefit of 3 times salary and last bonus.) Upon retirement, the benefit ceases. However, if a retired CEO is asked to represent Gannett at a function or event and receives prior approval from the then-current CEO, travel accident insurance coverage of $1,000,000 will be provided while on business travel status.
3. Executive Health Insurance. The CEO receives supplemental health coverage with a maximum annual benefit of $25,000 per executive family. (This is in addition to the regular employee health insurance coverage.) Upon retirement, the maximum annual benefit remains unchanged. Upon death, the maximum annual family benefit for eligible dependents becomes $12,500 per year for life.
4. Company Automobile. Upon retirement, the company automobile is offered to the CEO at the fair market value.
5. Legal and Financial Services. Upon retirement, this benefit ceases on April 15 of the year of retirement or the year following retirement, depending on the actual retirement date.
(Click on screenshot, below, for bigger, more readable view)
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
We need severance details from those just axed
If you've been laid off in this round, please share what you've learned about severance benefits. We'd all like to know. Some of the early reports leave out important details.
For example, Anonymous@3:24 p.m. says severance is as follows: "You can only collect if you qualify for unemployment. If you do, then you receive unemployment, and Gannett adds to that total to bring it up to your current salary for the period of weeks you will receive (one week for every year in my case). You must call and qualify for every week's payment. It's like the hoops insurance companies make you jump through."
But the poster does not indicate the cap on severance. For most of those laid off in December, severance was capped at 26 weeks -- no matter how many years you worked. Is that still true this time.
Also, what are provisions for medical insurance? Some reports say laid-off employees are being told they must sign up for COBRA coverage, which is higher than the company-subsidized coverage made available for the duration of severance during past layoffs.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
For example, Anonymous@3:24 p.m. says severance is as follows: "You can only collect if you qualify for unemployment. If you do, then you receive unemployment, and Gannett adds to that total to bring it up to your current salary for the period of weeks you will receive (one week for every year in my case). You must call and qualify for every week's payment. It's like the hoops insurance companies make you jump through."
But the poster does not indicate the cap on severance. For most of those laid off in December, severance was capped at 26 weeks -- no matter how many years you worked. Is that still true this time.
Also, what are provisions for medical insurance? Some reports say laid-off employees are being told they must sign up for COBRA coverage, which is higher than the company-subsidized coverage made available for the duration of severance during past layoffs.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Layoffs | Welcome to Westchester Confidential
A forum for employees at the The Journal News in Westchester, N.Y. Details of layoffs and other changes there have been delayed until early August, a full month past when most other workers will get notified, according to a memo from the publisher.
It's munch time: Jersey Confidential is back!
[Cue, scary music from that 1975 blockbuster]
I've just relaunched this special forum, for the six-paper New Jersey Group, after a reader said they need extra room for developing layoff news. Do not mess with Jersey! If any abused employees deserve their own forum, it's the folks who brought you last year's Poopgate!
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Tips | Advice from those laid off before you
Please share your experience as a laid-off employee, so those going through this in coming weeks can benefit from what you learned.
Earlier: A Gannett Blog layoff FAQ
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Earlier: A Gannett Blog layoff FAQ
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Resources for journalists covering layoff underway
A selection of key documents, and other links:
Related websites
- Text of newspaper divison's July 1 layoff memo
- Text of recent broadcasting division chief's memo
- The broadcasting division's 23 TV stations at a glance
- FAQ accompanying the memo
- Broadcast chief Dave Lougee's July 2007 appointment
- CEO Craig Dubow announces medical leave of absence
- The May round of newspaper division layoffs, and other job cuts; the December round; the September round, and the August round
- Most recent Gannett annual 10-K
- The most recent proxy statement
- All the Securities and Exchange Commission filings
- The current board of directors
- A brief history of Gannett
- About Gannett Blog
- Gannett Blog shuts down permanently on July 10; all traffic will be directed to Gannettoid.com.
- The Gannett Blog-IRE Challenge fundraising blog
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Part 2 | Friday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 3.
Part 1 | Friday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 2.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Thursday | Your Layoff News & Comments
Real Time Comments is parked here, 24/7. (Earlier editions.) This section is now closed to new comments. Please see today's edition.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Publishers memos | The grade so far? F-
[What, blame us? Dubow, Martore, Dickey]
I haven't seen a single publisher's layoff memo that mentioned decisions made by CEO Craig Dubow, Chief Financial Officer Gracia Martore, newspaper division President Bob Dickey, or any other Gannett Management Committee member. Instead, they blame -- what else? -- the economy.
But, really, Anonymous@7:24 p.m. puts it, ahem, more colorfully, in assessing the handiwork of Cincinnati Enquirer Publisher Margaret Buchanan.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Urgent: Gannettoid's publisher has been laid off
[Short note he just posted to his website]
We just spoke briefly by telephone. I feared this might happen, because he was in an especially vulnerable state. I'll tell you more about what this means for his site, once I know more.
For those of you just joining us, Gannettoid.com is the site where I plan to direct my traffic, once I close this blog for good at midnight ET tomorrow. When it rains, it . . . just sucks.
Part 6 | Thursday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 7.
Part 5 | Thursday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is closed to new comments. Please go to Part 6.
Part 4 | Thursday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 5.
Part 3 | Thursday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 4.
Part 2 | Thursday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 3.
Part 1 | Thursday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 2.
Gillin | Problem: 'No one wants to pay watchdogs'
Social media author and consultant Paul Gillin has entered the important debate about why there aren't more bloggers watching major media. It's unfolding on yesterday's Nieman Journalism Lab post by Martin Langeveld: Adios, Gannett Blog; where are the rest of the watchblogs? From Paul's comment today:
It’s clear that Gannett Blog's success was a surprise to everyone, including Jim Hopkins. As activity exploded, he was faced with the difficult decision of whether to try to take the blog’s celebrity to the next level or keep it as an interesting sidelight. Jim tried to make a run at a sustainable financial model last fall through a kind of tip jar approach, but that ran into the same problems that all publishers encounter these days: people don’t want to pay for news.
Faced with the prospect of continuing to sustain the effort on a labor of love basis while also becoming a lightning rod for criticism, Jim made a reasonable decision in my view. If he’s been a little dramatic in winding down the operation, I can understand that. Gannett Blog has provided a valuable service for many Gannett employees for two years, but no one is willing or able to step up and support the effort. It’s not surprising that Jim is pointing out what they’re about to lose.
Whether or not you agree with the way Jim has handled comments from readers, it’s clear that this blog has taxed the limits of one man’s ability to give without compensation. He deserves thanks and respect for all he is put into the effort.
To address Martin’s comment about the lack of watchdogs, the problem is that no one wants to pay watchdogs. My own blogging activities on Newspaper Death Watch have consumed hundreds of hours of time over the last 27 months while yielding a few hundred dollars in advertising revenue and no meaningful business opportunities. That’s okay. I do it because I love it, but if my family’s livelihood were ever at stake, it’s the first activity I would have to jettison.
That’s where this story is also a microcosm of the industry. Newspapers are the watchdogs of our institutions, but their financial predicament makes that role less and less viable. It would be nice to look to the blogosphere for salvation, but those who choose a watchdog role must also face up to the realities of the market. New media has yet to figure out a viable financial model for watchdogs, and it may never do so. For the time being, we are increasingly delegating that function to people like Jim Hopkins, who can only give so much.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
It’s clear that Gannett Blog's success was a surprise to everyone, including Jim Hopkins. As activity exploded, he was faced with the difficult decision of whether to try to take the blog’s celebrity to the next level or keep it as an interesting sidelight. Jim tried to make a run at a sustainable financial model last fall through a kind of tip jar approach, but that ran into the same problems that all publishers encounter these days: people don’t want to pay for news.
Faced with the prospect of continuing to sustain the effort on a labor of love basis while also becoming a lightning rod for criticism, Jim made a reasonable decision in my view. If he’s been a little dramatic in winding down the operation, I can understand that. Gannett Blog has provided a valuable service for many Gannett employees for two years, but no one is willing or able to step up and support the effort. It’s not surprising that Jim is pointing out what they’re about to lose.Whether or not you agree with the way Jim has handled comments from readers, it’s clear that this blog has taxed the limits of one man’s ability to give without compensation. He deserves thanks and respect for all he is put into the effort.
To address Martin’s comment about the lack of watchdogs, the problem is that no one wants to pay watchdogs. My own blogging activities on Newspaper Death Watch have consumed hundreds of hours of time over the last 27 months while yielding a few hundred dollars in advertising revenue and no meaningful business opportunities. That’s okay. I do it because I love it, but if my family’s livelihood were ever at stake, it’s the first activity I would have to jettison.
That’s where this story is also a microcosm of the industry. Newspapers are the watchdogs of our institutions, but their financial predicament makes that role less and less viable. It would be nice to look to the blogosphere for salvation, but those who choose a watchdog role must also face up to the realities of the market. New media has yet to figure out a viable financial model for watchdogs, and it may never do so. For the time being, we are increasingly delegating that function to people like Jim Hopkins, who can only give so much.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
USAT | 'Like watching a disaster. Blessings to us all'
Anonymous@1:04 p.m. writes:
I work at USA Today and like everyone else in the company we are sitting here reading these hundreds of postings in great sadness and disbelief. Trust me, many of us came from the very newspapers we're reading about and the layoffs show an industry disintegrating.
No one here feels safe or smug and all I can say that the image of us sitting here in the hundreds is very wrong. Also, we care and we feel the carnage.
It's like watching a disaster movie. Blessings to us all.
I work at USA Today and like everyone else in the company we are sitting here reading these hundreds of postings in great sadness and disbelief. Trust me, many of us came from the very newspapers we're reading about and the layoffs show an industry disintegrating.
No one here feels safe or smug and all I can say that the image of us sitting here in the hundreds is very wrong. Also, we care and we feel the carnage.
It's like watching a disaster movie. Blessings to us all.
Urgent: Severance plan details reportedly leaking; be prepared to slow this down -- if you act soon
GCI's directors: Starting on the top row, left to right, with powerful executive committee members in boldface: Dubow, Elias, Harper, Louis, Magner, McCune, McFarland, Shalala, Shapiro and Williams.A reader named Parson wrote the following comment yesterday on Gannettoid.com; the comment, apparently concerning The Desert Sun at Palm Springs, Calif., has been reposted on Gannett Blog, here:
I'm number one of the July 9 layoffs here. Can't say how many others will be layed off. I notified management that I had to fly home on Thursday the 9th because my father is passing. That created a dilemma evidently because I wouldn't be there on the 9th. They told me later in the day (today) that I was being let go. The timing sucks. But I really don't have hard feelings towards the company. I know I would have a hard time picking who goes and who stays. My feeling is that it's the right time to leave this industry. What I've read so far online about the severance, or transitional pay is correct. They are outsourcing it to Total Management Solutions. Transitional Pay is only paid if you are eligible to receive state unemployment benefits. You must verify your eligibility for this on a weekly basis.
Crucial unanswered questions
- Will other terms remain the same as in recent layoffs? One week's pay for every year of service, up to a maximum of 26 weeks?
- Is health insurance included at company rates, or will you be required to go on more expensive COBRA plans immediately?
Total Management Solutions: Start reading everything about its supplemental unemployment benefits plan, or SUB-Pay Plan, in the FAQ. Note its industry client list for sub-pay services.
What you can do
Once we have confirmed this move, there is no time to waste. Anyone in a position to do so, please write to the following people. Please don't dismiss these ideas out of hand; recall what happened to the auto industries CEOs, after they flew corporate jets to Washington, D.C.
GCI's board of directors
Perhaps the only hope would be Neal Shapiro, who joined the board in October 2007 (circled photo, above). He is CEO of public broadcasting affiliate WNET-TV of New York. Shapiro is a former NBC News president, and is the only member of the board with true journalism credentials.
U.S. Congress
Write to your representative in the Senate (list here) and the House (list here). Plus, contact the chairmen of the following two committees, which have broad jurisdiction over Corporate America. Ask these panels to consider convening an investigation. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is likely your best ally. He hates this stuff, and acts with speed.
Senate
Commerce, Science & Transportation
Chairman: Jay Rockefeller, D-West Va. (left). He represents one of the nation's most impoverished states, so should be sympathetic.Ranking Republican: Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
List of all members.
Committee contact information, here.
House
Energy and Commerce Committee
Chairman: Henry Waxman, D-Calif. (left). He is a total pitbull once he sinks his teeth into a cause.Ranking Republican: Joe Barton, R-Texas.
List of all members.
Committee contacts. I am unable to find this.
State, local officials
Contact your governor's office (list of governors), as well as your mayor or other local head of government.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Karma | What goes around, comes around
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.[Image: courtesy of an anonymous Gannett Blog reader]
Op View | 'I am one of those who get to tell people they are gone. I didn't get to say who -- I was told'
Anonymous@10:10 a.m. writes:
These people are my friends and valued co-workers. If I had any options, I'd quit -- but I wouldn't even get unemployment then.
I am furious that it has come to this, and I blame top management for a lot of it. The economy has a part, but the string of stupid decisions that have come from corporate are unforgiveable. They have forgotten, or never cared, that we have an obligation and a reponsibility that go beyond just making a dollar. And they never wanted to hear anyone question the decisions. If you dared, you were told that perhaps you worked for the wrong company -- which turns out to be true.
Some of the other media companies that went down at least went down trying to maintain standards. Gannett is going down as if planned. Who will profit from that? I think it is a question that should be thoroughly investigated.
Those of you are gone or leaving today, I am so sorry. But it is likely to be worse for those left behind.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
These people are my friends and valued co-workers. If I had any options, I'd quit -- but I wouldn't even get unemployment then.
I am furious that it has come to this, and I blame top management for a lot of it. The economy has a part, but the string of stupid decisions that have come from corporate are unforgiveable. They have forgotten, or never cared, that we have an obligation and a reponsibility that go beyond just making a dollar. And they never wanted to hear anyone question the decisions. If you dared, you were told that perhaps you worked for the wrong company -- which turns out to be true.
Some of the other media companies that went down at least went down trying to maintain standards. Gannett is going down as if planned. Who will profit from that? I think it is a question that should be thoroughly investigated.
Those of you are gone or leaving today, I am so sorry. But it is likely to be worse for those left behind.
A look in someone's eyes. A cardboard box on an empty desk. A final conversation. Please share your layoff story in three or four paragraphs. Post replies in the comments section, below. Or e-mail via gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
Just in | This is your layoff, on Internet time
"It's happening in Cherry Hill RIGHT NOW."
-- Anonymous@9:32 a.m., as comments roll in by the dozens amid a coast-to-coast layoff by No. 1 newspaper publisher Gannett Co. Inc.
Silent stream | In comments, real-time layoffs
In reverse chronological order, from 8:23 a.m. to 9:21 a.m. today:
Who who who . . . Asbury Park just lost some long timers!! . . . Northeast Wisconsin learns today? . . . They have started in Des Moines. . . . Waiting here in Cherry Hill. The mood is somber. . . . Damnit this is horrible. They continue to make us suffer what creeps. . . . In Louisville, more names dropping Thursday. . . . The dawn is breaking on another work day. . . . . They are coming to take me away aha. They are coming to take me away aha. . . .The numbers will grow. Rochester will not finish until today or possibly Friday. . . . Northing happened in Poughkeepsie yesterday. People are getting more anxious by the minute. . . . Any word from Asheville or Greenville?
[Image: The Scream, Edvard Munch, 1893, oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard. National Gallery, Oslo]
Who who who . . . Asbury Park just lost some long timers!! . . . Northeast Wisconsin learns today? . . . They have started in Des Moines. . . . Waiting here in Cherry Hill. The mood is somber. . . . Damnit this is horrible. They continue to make us suffer what creeps. . . . In Louisville, more names dropping Thursday. . . . The dawn is breaking on another work day. . . . . They are coming to take me away aha. They are coming to take me away aha. . . .The numbers will grow. Rochester will not finish until today or possibly Friday. . . . Northing happened in Poughkeepsie yesterday. People are getting more anxious by the minute. . . . Any word from Asheville or Greenville?[Image: The Scream, Edvard Munch, 1893, oil, tempera and pastel on cardboard. National Gallery, Oslo]
Confidential to new P.R. chief Robin Pence
If you haven't had the conversation already, please contact Tara Connell ASAP, about our April 4, 2008, e-mail exchange. I have recently re-extended that olive branch. Yet, it appears her allies still haven't gotten aboard. Don't be blindsided so early in your tenure. I am busy. So are you. It's time to move on.
'Adios, Gannett Blog; where are other watchblogs?'
From a new post, on Nieman Journalism Lab's blog:When Jim Hopkins got started with it, Gannett Blog was a useful compendium of news, gossip, tips and analysis about the country’s largest newspaper publishing company, and occasionally he would uncover something nobody else had noticed, like CEO Craig Dubow's self-serving direction of $40,000 in Gannett Foundation money to an endowed scholarship, in his and his wife’s names, at Western Carolina University.
But lately the site has degenerated into a rather odd mix of self promotion, beefcake, travelogue from Ibiza, more beefcake, and a countdown toward oblivion, which is slated for Friday. Time’s running out! You have just two days left to comment!
Hopkins is redirecting his traffic to Gannettoid, which started up in December. Gannettoid is not a blog; its content lacks clear dates, so it’s not clear that it will be as useful to Gannettoids as Gannett Blog was, at least before it succumbed to self-admiration and hype. Until recently it lacked commenting, as well, but it has recently added a forum for discussion. Maybe it will get around to RSS, also.
Not every major newspaper group is favored with a meta-site where employees and others can get the latest news, leaks, gossip and analysis on their favorite company.
Where are the rest of the watchblogs? Among the top groups, Tribune, News Corp., New York Times Co., Hearst, Scripps and CNHI all lack Gannett Blog equivalents, as far as I can tell (but clue me in, if I’m missing something).
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Smile! You've got two more days to post!
[San Francisco's Marian and Vivian Brown -- or Vivian and Marian?!]
[Photo: As icons of Baghdad by the Bay, Wikipedia says, the Browns, 82, are known for their their signature, identical "bright snappy outfits, with hats atop meticulously coiffed hair." I saw them often in the Financial District, where I worked in 2000-07 for USA Today's business-news section]
Gannett Blog closes tomorrow at midnight ET. With rare exceptions, I'm only posting comments related to layoffs and other job cuts, due to high comment volume. Depending on your time zone, you now have just two days left to post. Please add publisher's and other memos in the comments section, below, or to gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com].
[Photo: As icons of Baghdad by the Bay, Wikipedia says, the Browns, 82, are known for their their signature, identical "bright snappy outfits, with hats atop meticulously coiffed hair." I saw them often in the Financial District, where I worked in 2000-07 for USA Today's business-news section]
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Wednesday | Your Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Today's Edition.
Part 2 | Wednesday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 3.
Part 1 | Wednesday's Layoff News & Comments
This section is now closed to new comments. Please go to Part 2.
Tip | MyBoss cites 'rumor' of senior exec departing
In a second post today, the well-known MyBoss source has just posted the following:
1. USA Live will be shut down.
2. Tara Connell on vacation this week. She is leaving it up to the new corp comm chief to deal with this mess.
3. Rumor that a senior executive is leaving Gannett and might be related to Martore's company webcast next week.
I'm especially interested in item No. 3. For one, Chief Digital Officer Chris Saridakis has been on my mind for several weeks now.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
1. USA Live will be shut down.
2. Tara Connell on vacation this week. She is leaving it up to the new corp comm chief to deal with this mess.
3. Rumor that a senior executive is leaving Gannett and might be related to Martore's company webcast next week.
I'm especially interested in item No. 3. For one, Chief Digital Officer Chris Saridakis has been on my mind for several weeks now.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Pence confirms GCI hired severance outsourcer
From a new post, on Gannettoid.com:
New Gannett spokeswoman Robin Pence confirmed to Gannettoid in an e-mail that the company has hired Total Management Solutions to handle severance payments for this round of layoffs.
In her reply, she said, "As employees are notified this week, they will be provided with detailed information and customized packages that explain the transition pay plan in detail. We selected Total Management Solutions to help us administer the plan as other companies have done when they have implemented this kind of plan. The program itself was developed by us and the provisions are specific to our employees."
Earlier, unconfirmed reports today on Gannett Blog say this "transitional pay" is only paid if employees "are eligible to receive state unemployment benefits. You must verify your eligibility for this on a weekly basis."
Still unanswered, including by Pence: What is the cap on transitional pay -- one week for every year of service, up to a maximum of 26 weeks, as was the case during earlier, recent layoffs?
Earlier: Steps you can take now to slow this severance plan
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
New Gannett spokeswoman Robin Pence confirmed to Gannettoid in an e-mail that the company has hired Total Management Solutions to handle severance payments for this round of layoffs.
In her reply, she said, "As employees are notified this week, they will be provided with detailed information and customized packages that explain the transition pay plan in detail. We selected Total Management Solutions to help us administer the plan as other companies have done when they have implemented this kind of plan. The program itself was developed by us and the provisions are specific to our employees."
Earlier, unconfirmed reports today on Gannett Blog say this "transitional pay" is only paid if employees "are eligible to receive state unemployment benefits. You must verify your eligibility for this on a weekly basis."
Still unanswered, including by Pence: What is the cap on transitional pay -- one week for every year of service, up to a maximum of 26 weeks, as was the case during earlier, recent layoffs?
Earlier: Steps you can take now to slow this severance plan
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Tip | 'MyBoss': Dickey 'misleading and incorrect'
One of Gannett Blog's best-known, though never publicly identified sources, says in a comment at 2:43 p.m. ET:
1. Layoffs will be 3,000 minimum. Newspaper division President Bob Dickey's note is misleading and incorrect
2. Corporate executives are celebrating the closing of Gannett Blog.
3. There is a consultant firm working with Tara Connell to help her figure out what ContentOne is supposed to be when it grows up.
Jim observes: The figure, "3,000 minimum,'' follows MyBoss' previous, widely-quoted estimate of 4,500 cuts in the community newspapers division.
Earlier: Why the real job cut number isn't 1,400
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
1. Layoffs will be 3,000 minimum. Newspaper division President Bob Dickey's note is misleading and incorrect
2. Corporate executives are celebrating the closing of Gannett Blog.
3. There is a consultant firm working with Tara Connell to help her figure out what ContentOne is supposed to be when it grows up.
Jim observes: The figure, "3,000 minimum,'' follows MyBoss' previous, widely-quoted estimate of 4,500 cuts in the community newspapers division.
Earlier: Why the real job cut number isn't 1,400
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Severance pay | Suggested helpful resources
Anonymous@2:43 a.m. writes:
A couple of links that laid-off people might find helpful as it becomes clear that the severance packages are a pittance of what they should be (and were just six months ago).
Separately, a Philadelphia attorney contacted me, and said he's willing to speak to you about provisions of the WARN act, commonly known as the factory shutdown law. Many of you have asked about the law; here's what he told me in an e-mail:
I am a lawyer who specializes in mass layoff cases. Does anyone have any more specifics about individuals sites?
To be covered by WARN Act, either the entire site needs to be closed and 50 people must be laid off at that site; or 50 people and at least 1/3 of the workforce at a particular site must be laid off.
Charles A. Ercole, Esquire
Klehr, Harrison, Harvey, Branzburg & Ellers, LLP
260 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102-5003
Email: cercole@klehr.com
Important caution: I am not endorsing any of these resources. I pass them to you with the usual caveat: Do not sign any legal agreements without first consulting an attorney you know and trust.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
A couple of links that laid-off people might find helpful as it becomes clear that the severance packages are a pittance of what they should be (and were just six months ago).
- How to negotiate a better severance package
- A law firm's website, which might be able to help people wring some justice out of this company.
Separately, a Philadelphia attorney contacted me, and said he's willing to speak to you about provisions of the WARN act, commonly known as the factory shutdown law. Many of you have asked about the law; here's what he told me in an e-mail:
I am a lawyer who specializes in mass layoff cases. Does anyone have any more specifics about individuals sites?
To be covered by WARN Act, either the entire site needs to be closed and 50 people must be laid off at that site; or 50 people and at least 1/3 of the workforce at a particular site must be laid off.
Charles A. Ercole, Esquire
Klehr, Harrison, Harvey, Branzburg & Ellers, LLP
260 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102-5003
Email: cercole@klehr.com
Important caution: I am not endorsing any of these resources. I pass them to you with the usual caveat: Do not sign any legal agreements without first consulting an attorney you know and trust.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Layoffs | This round, severance may be worse
Note: I'm reposting this to the homepage. I originally published it June 23, suggesting how long management has been keeping you in the dark. It appears below, exactly as originally written.
I've heard from a single source, so take this with a grain of salt:
Then: Most if not all laid-off employees got health insurance at existing rates for as long as they collected severance checks.
Now: Will those laid off have to pay much higher COBRA-size rates for medical benefits from the moment they get, uh, severed?
Corporate knows the answer, but chief publicist Tara Connell won't even discuss with me whether big layoffs are coming July 8.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
I've heard from a single source, so take this with a grain of salt:
Then: Most if not all laid-off employees got health insurance at existing rates for as long as they collected severance checks.
Now: Will those laid off have to pay much higher COBRA-size rates for medical benefits from the moment they get, uh, severed?
Corporate knows the answer, but chief publicist Tara Connell won't even discuss with me whether big layoffs are coming July 8.
Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green rail, upper right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
