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For the New York Times Co. even the smallest cuts make a difference.
From the New York Observer
Back in January, deputy managing editor Bill Schmidt instructed staffers on how to produce cheaper expense reports—book less pricey hotels, monitor lunch and dinner costs, etc.—but this takes the newsroom cost-savings measures to a new level.
First, the texting effectively needs to stop.
“Although we recognize that texting has become an indispensable means of communication for many people, our basic company plans with Verizon and AT&T do not provide for unlimited texting,” wrote Mr. Schmidt. “A lot of texting costs us a lot of money, whether as a per-message fee or as an unlimited-message add-on.”
Specific instructions follow: If you can email or leave a voice mail, there’s no reason to text! Don’t text Twitter messages, either; get a program like Tweetberry! Don’t send texts when you can use BlackBerry messenger, an IMing program that is available to BlackBerry users.
“Do not send picture or video messages (‘MMS’) from company phones except for work purposes,” he continued. “And do not text from overseas.”
Mr. Schmidt wrote that staffers really shouldn’t be making calls on company phones when they’re overseas—even if they’re working on a story.
“If you are going abroad for work for more than a day or two, please rent a local phone or get a local SIM card, which can be inserted into your phone to make it, in effect, a local phone,” he wrote. “You can forward calls from your U.S. number to the local number of your rented phone or SIM card.”
If you’re on vacation and not on Times business, well, don’t even bother.
As far as 411 is concerned, every time a Times reporter uses that number it costs “us $1.49 apiece,” wrote Mr. Schmidt.
Apparently cutting the salaries of employees by 5% wasn’t enough. Now in yet another morale busting move they are seeking to restrict a low cost perk all in the name of saving a few bucks. Let’s just say the the Times Co. isn’t in any danger of making Fortune’s Best Companies to Work For list.
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About the author
Don Irvine is Chairman of Accuracy in Media. He is active on Facebook and Twitter. You can follow him @donirvine to read his latest thoughts.
Come on. While I may not agree with “The Times”, I certainly think it is within their right to say how they will run their business. Personally, I wouldn’t want MY employees running up MY bills, texting their friends, or sending private pictures. I would certainly look for ways to cut costs, and if that means using voice mail instead of texting, so be it.
When I am at my job, I call locally, or use my personal cell phone to make needed calls; I don’t text; I don’t make 411 calls. (I don’t even make those at home…I use the internet.)
What’s morale-busting about expecting employees to be responsible for their own personal messages, and not soaking the employer for every thing they can get?