Thursday, February 19, 2009

Lexington Herald-Leader slashes building security from 120 hours per week to 40, drops plant watering service

Employees at the Lexington Herald-Leader were informed that new cutbacks include a reduction of building security from 120 hours per week to 40, and canceling the service that waters plants in the building. Here is the email:
Subject: Re: Facility changes

Everyone

Beginning on Monday, February 23 the Herald Leader will be reducing the building security and front lobby hours. Security is currently covering the facility with 120 hours per week and this will be reduced to 40 hours, or one Monday through Friday security shift. **** ***** with Murray Guard will be on duty at the front desk from 8:30am to 5pm. Along with this change the front door will be locked beginning at 5 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. If emergency or security assistance is needed outside of these hours, please contact the Help Desk at extension 3289. facilities

Also, a 30-day cancelation notice was given to Ambius, Inc., the service that provides watering for the building plants. Once this service is stopped we encourage employees to water the plants in their areas. All of the outside services along with other spending categories are being examined for opportunities to reduce or eliminate services. Thanks for your cooperation in these matters.

David Stone
V.P. Operations/Technology

UPDATE: From comments:
What's next? Trading out ads for O Cedar toilet brushes and encouraging employees to scrub the bowl after each use?
Hat tip: email
.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are they crazy? Please water the plants. My God have they lost their minds?

Anonymous said...

"My God have they lost their minds"? YES!!!! This come from a VP?

Anonymous said...

What is crazy is they were even paying someone to water them.

Here's another hot one for you. The only reason that they ever needed the security agencies in the first place was because of the reaction that they expected from their union busting activities many years ago. They never had a real reason to have them other than they knew what they were doing was so reprehensible that they expected the employees that they were screwing to react violently.
It turned out the only people who were packing pistols were the managers who were responsible.
What they were paying for security more than made up for what they saved screwing their own.

Anonymous said...

I am speechless!

Anonymous said...

Turn out the lights when you leave.

Anonymous said...

Actually the problem with Ambius, Inc., the service that provides watering for the building plants, was they kept watering some of our managers, who they confused with potted plants.

Anonymous said...

In Sacramento they are shutting down the valet parking and there are no more waiters in the cafeteria.

Anonymous said...

"Once this service is stopped we encourage employees to water the plants in their areas."

What's next? Trading out ads for O Cedar toilet brushes and encouraging employees to scrub the bowl after each use?

Les Weatherford,
Still a stockholder

Anonymous said...

Great idea Less, and brooms & mops at the front door to clean the way to your work area. Hell I may even whistle.

Anonymous said...

WOW YOU STILL HAVE PLANTS!!!

Anonymous said...

Im struck by the lack of security.
Why advertise to the undesireables that your, "open" for business.

Anonymous said...

Sell more Obama trinkets!

Anonymous said...

I don't even want to think about those dead plants.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry about them. It will be quick and painless. After the next round of layoffs, they'll be watered with toilet bowl cleaner. We're getting down to the people that got to where they were by climbing over the backs of their peers and at their friends expense. They don't let minor decencies get in their way.

Anonymous said...

There are so few plants in the building that it's a joke anyway. The lobby in Lexington was once listed as one of the most grim businesss lobbies in Lexington. Prison gray is the color! Maybe they can get the circulation VP Nelson Fonticella to water plants, he killed circulation and the morale of the dept. Maybe he'd have better luck with plants.

Anonymous said...

What took them so long? Haven't had security at the Anchorage Daily News in months; homeless people have been found in the workout room. Pulled vending machines to save money on power. Could go on and on.

Anonymous said...

You have a workout room!?

Anonymous said...

No offense to Mr. Stone, but the title slays me - "V.P. Operations/Technology"

Those IT guys must love working for the person in charge of plants.

Nope, no blinders on here...

Anonymous said...

Seriously, a WORKOUT ROOM?! We haven't had a working cafeteria for YEARS(just vending machines) and asked to put some exercise equipment in there. This was back in the day when Peter Ridder was in control. He told us no because of insurance liability. When we found out that some McClatchy papers had exercise facilities we realized he was just being cheap.

Anonymous said...

I don't think this is such a bad idea. When you start looking to cut the budget it's the extras that go first. Nobody needs a plant watering service.

And very funny 7:08, but here in Sac we don't have a cafeteria anymore.

Anonymous said...

I know one paper that cut janitors and asked employees to empty the garbage. I was astounded the stock didn't jump when that news hit the street.

Anonymous said...

Plants? That's some fancy newspaper.

Security guards? Wow. That's what the i.d. badge you wear around your neck like a dog is for, the little advice that gets you in (until five minutes before your layoff notice) and local crack addicts, angry former employees, etc., out.

First-hired, first fired? Damn! High morals down in Raleigh. Most papers just go for the salary dump, replace experienced people with rookies. More like "highest pay, first to slay." And, so management doesn't look too evil (that possible?), they lay off a few recent hires to avoid lawsuits.

Speaking of suits - how about eliminating a few of these morons? That'll save three newsroom positions - or maybe 100 plants.

Good luck, Hyman. I feel your pain.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I meant "device," not "advice."

Sue me.

10:10

Anonymous said...

And, "last hired, first fired."

See what happens when your copy editor is laid off?

10:10

Anonymous said...

Tee hee - we had a homeless guy LIVING in our building for a while. Security? Who needs that?

Anonymous said...

wow - who knew we had it so good in Lexington? We have (some) security workers, our plants have been watered, we have a nice cafeteria and a workout room. I guess we've been living it up w/o even knowing it. I do think it's insane that we have to call the technology help desk w/ after hours security emergencies though. What's an IT guy going to do - other than call 911 for us?

Anonymous said...

Sorry to break the news to yall but the sacbee's dining center closed last Friday. Thankfully they were kind enough to retain the aerobics instructor for our fitness center and the vendor who takes care of and waters our plants. Being in the same house as McClatchy does have it's perks.

Anonymous said...

Not for long! Then what you going to do?

Anonymous said...

I'm in the Sacbee bldg....we don't even have access to coffee (and no, I don't count that dispensed from a vending machine.)