... while we detonate a nuclear bomb over here.
I've done the Weekly Geek but I haven't been blogging much this week; my heart hasn't really been in it _ or anything.
My job dropped a massive bombshell on us on Monday. I work as a layout/copy sub-editor for a newspaper for the Fairfax Group and they're laying a lot of us off. They're creating subbing hubs, or as they like to call them "centres of excellence" (I have another name for them) in Christchurch and Wellington, where most of the work for the newspapers will be done. Local papers will still be responsible for local content.
We have about 22 sub-editors spread across three departments: Communities, which is responsible for producing five papers, features, and the daily. We're losing a big chunk of those and are going down to 9.3 Fulltime Equivalent sub-editors. Which the powers that be keep telling us they're very excited about.
Big yip.
I'm the main wage-earner for my family. We're both incredibly bad with money and therefore have debt for miles. So I can't really afford to lose my job. We have until July 16 to make a submission telling them what we think (although if I told them what I really think, I'd be carted off) and then by the end of July we'll know what's going to happen.
Ugh.
7 comments:
Oh Maree. I have my fingers crossed that you will come out of this with your job in tact. What a stressful time for you and your family.
That's so horrible that they're patting themselves on the back while knifing so many in theirs.
I've been through a layoff (with the school system in the US) and I hope you don't have to experience that. I'll be thinking good thoughts on your behalf.
Thank you. :)
I wish you well with your job and that things will get less stressful soon.
Maree, unfortunately it's the nature of the newspaper business. I know. It's where I've worked for over 10 years as a reporter, editor and now correspondent.
Unfortunately, if your group is like others, it's the bottom line: advertising revenue. Editorial content doesn't matter as much anymore. Of course, I worked for Journal Register (the AntiChrist of newspaper companies) for years, so maybe it makes me a little cynical.
Yes, it's unfortunate. We've been hearing about massive layoffs overseas, too. It's going to get to the point that people will stop reading newspapers "because they're full of ads"
If it weren't for our crippling debt, I'd take the money and run.:(
That's horrible news. My husband works for Washington Mutual Bank in the states and I'm not sure if it's made news internationally yet, but they are a huge company laying people off in the tens of thousands. Every day I hope that he'll come home and still have his job! I'll send good thoughts your way.
Post a Comment