The Laurel blog is reporting that New London Day employees have been told to take an unpaid week off as a cost-saving measure.
As harsh as that first sounds, it seems a lot more humane (and anti-capitalistic) than putting the paper’s economic hurt on a select few employees… or soon to be ex-employees.
It raises an interesting and perhaps socialistic question as the screws tighten on our economy and the downward spiral continues. Wouldn’t it make sense for all companies (and governments) to spread the pain as broadly as possible in order to preserve jobs?
It seems to me that putting more people out of work is only feeding the problem and destroying public confidence in the economy.
So then it boils down to a personal issue, perhaps: Would you be willing to give up some pay to benefit the collective good? If so, then, how much?
It’s sounding more and more like this recession is creating a need for an era of personal sacrifice from us all. When was the last time that happened in America? World War II?
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Interesting point to consider, even as so many places like the Day and others aren’t putting it up as a voluntary decision to be made after thoughtful rumination.
An inside-outer on the thing is to wonder, too, whether making the worker-bee sacrifice universal is shared at all with the boss-bees, usually in so much a stronger position to surrender a little of their bloat. There is some charm, I guess, in the innocent having to pay for the comfort of those who made the decisions, or failed to, that affect the mess of the moment.
denis horgan
The Boss Bees ought to be the first to make a sacrifice. Then they become Leader Bees.
During the Depression, my grandfather and all his coworkers agreed to work half time so that folks wouldn’t lose their jobs. Everyone struggled, but they were able to keep their homes and their kids fed. Today, a friend who is a legal aide lawyer says he and his coworkers agreed to a 20 percent pay cut so that nobody would be laid off during a time when the need for their services is greater than ever. … Seems to me the need for in-depth and complete news coverage is as important now as ever. … But some C-level executive has a cash incentive to cut more jobs — the bigger the cuts, the bigger his bonus.