Sep 3, 2009

LANG to unfreeze vacation time

Because of cost cuts, employees of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of Dean Singleton's MediaNews Group, have had their vacation time frozen in place since April. That state of affairs will come to an end on October 1.

An exec with LANG's San Gabriel Valley papers sent the following email:
As you know, the company suspended vacation accruals the past several months as part of an effort to control expenses in a tough economic environment. I appreciate the effort and sacrifice everyone has made in this regard, and am happy to report that we are on track toward meeting those financial objectives. I am even happier to report that as of Oct. 1, vacation accruals will be restored. Again, thank you for everything you are doing to fortify our business and, as evident in our superb coverage of the ongoing wildfires, for continuing to make the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group a benchmark of excellence.
In addition to the hold on vacation accrual, LANGers have faced two rounds of furloughs - one completely unpaid, the other designed to dry up remaining vacation time.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

A benchmark of excellence? Who are you kidding? As I understand it August was a crappy month for the Langers, not that most aren't. Only this group of leaders would attempt to get a pat on the back by restoring basic benefits that were eliminated in part by their lack of management. What gall.

Anonymous said...

Whatever. I'm just glad to have vacation back. What a shitty thing to do to people that was.

Anonymous said...

Circulation and revenues falling fast and employees "love" the work enviornment...what else can these dolts do to these newspapers? All they did is give you back what you agreed to get when you started working there. Now, they try and make you feel thankful.

Anonymous said...

4:40 exactly!! you are spot on. couldn't have said it better myself. poor langers. it's like they almost have stockholm syndrome.

Anonymous said...

When your employer freezes your vacation time, it is time to find a new career.

What is the next step? Requiring people to buy their own notebooks and pens?

Anonymous said...

If they had to buy their own notebooks and pens, they'd know how teachers feel.

Edward Barrera said...

My god, some of you should just give it a break. Here's something good that's happening during a terrible time, and you can't even be happy for the people that are still working.

Anonymous said...

Edward,

Sorry to disagree on this. This company for many years had mishandled communication, taken advantage of workers, terminated solid employees and mismanaged the business.

To give them credit for restoring what you had, and by the way it was not excessive, is a slope I don't care to go down.

Of course when the beatings stop it feels better.

Anonymous said...

Something good would be to add a benefit, not give back a very normal standard of vacation time. Get a grip.

Anonymous said...

Hey, enough all of you. This is good news. First, they're restoring the vacation in some way. Next, I'll get my job back. You just watch.

Anonymous said...

yep, rumor is they are going to bring back all those employees who were let go over the past two years, increase vacation time, paid of course, and give retirement benefits, pay for medical insurance and foster a wonderful culture.

I got a bridge for sale too.

Anonymous said...

Next you will tell us that they are going to hire a publisher and ad execs that know how to run a newspaper, make money, and, foster a great work enviornment.

Anonymous said...

8:33 WHY would you even want your job back? You haven't moved on yet? Hmm. Sorry to hear that.

Anonymous said...

I think 8:33 was a bit tongue in cheek.

Anonymous said...

No, I am holding fast to my dreams. I want my same old job back, and my stapler back at my cubicle (it was my stapler, actually, not the companies, but I left it behind after being laid off. It ran out of staples but it was one of the old fashioned heavy ones. I wonder whose using it now). Of course, the building has been sold so I'll have to get my old job back somewhere else, but the dream lives on. I'm willing to commute to my old job.

Anonymous said...

Nice to see you can still carry the company line, Ed. Maybe you'll even get your old job back.

Anonymous said...

The freezing of the vacation time ... what was the result of that? Did people wind up with two weeks of paid vacation for the year instead of three? Were people more inclined to call in sick throughout the year as retribution?

Anonymous said...

They are on track to meet those financial objectives? The bar must be set on very low limbo mode.

Anonymous said...

In light of thhe financial mess we are in, do we get to take Labor Day off?