gannett plans to layoff 3,000 by december.

Ahh, another convert to the Wal-Mart philosophy.

 

Well, they have been acting like the fast-food industry in terms of how they've been communicating these layoffs to their workers.

 

Yeah, but in the fast-food industry, you're happy to get laid off.

 

Just heard a rumor that the Orlando Magic beat reporter at Florida Today was let go. If true, I'm absolutely shocked. Prayers to all affected during this round of cuts.

 

He may be returning for training camp. Might just be a temporary thing.

 

I'm afraid a lot of the cuts will be the "pro" beat writers for fringe papers. A lot of editors already feel covering pro franchises are a waste with AP already staffing most games.

 

I concur she is a saint. Please tell her many in the business respect her greatly.
She's basically saying, 'Life is too short' to work for complete and utter morons.
Something, anything else, has to be better.
I can't believe I still put everything I have into my job even with no raise this year and total mismanagement going on around me. I think I need professional help! Somebody save me.

 

The number of pages this thread has reached speaks volumes about what it's like to work for Gannett. I can't wait until I'm lucky enough to get away.

 

A former co-worker, who has returned to our paper this week as a loaner, and I were just talking and she said she had completely forgot how much it sucked to work at our place. Like, nobody ever leaves their desk, not for lunch breaks, not for 15-minute breaks, nothing.

She's at a place now where they encourage everyone to leave the building for lunch and to take two breaks per day. At our shop, I guess leaving for lunch is technically not discouraged, but everybody just feels like if they take an hour off they'll get so far behind they won't be able to catch up. I can't tell you the last time I've actually left the building to eat supper. I almost always bring my own dinner at eat at my desk while finishing a story/taking calls/working on pages or I run out to Mickey D's or something and grab something to eat at my desk.

I've been doing this for so long and living this lifestyle for so long, I honestly don't know how I'd react if I worked at a place where leaving for lunch was encouraged. It's sad to say this, but I feel guilty taking days off, much less leaving my co-worker(s) to go eat supper.

 

The problem (problems) I have are that in spite of everything that's going on with this job, I still love what I do too much to leave on my own, and I'm really to the point where I'm too old to effect any kind of significant career change.

 

And that's when you are screwed. Always have an option Albert. Even if its working for McDonald's. Always have an option lurking somewhere. Good Luck.

 

I don't take breaks either -- but it's because I'm motivated to get my work done and get the hell out of there as soon as possible.

You can take breaks. They are going to fire you eventually whether you take them or not.