downsizing
When Dean Health System in Madison, Wisconsin announced last week that it "planned to 'immediately' lay off 90 employees," it wasn't kidding around. One of them was a nurse
who was pulled out of surgery to be told the news.
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magazines
The latest issue of GOOD magazine, which arrived in our mailbox yesterday, seems to be equal parts tongue-in-cheek and an actual attempt to save money on printing. To be honest, it's the first time we ever made it entirely through a magazine in one sitting, so in that sense we kind of like the new format, even if it's just for one issue. Of note: if your resume sucks, you can enter it in their resume-makeover contest.
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macy's
Macy's is slaying 7,000 positions from its payrolls. No news about any store closing so far. Things are not looking good for retail stores with large stores in the physical universe these days. Economy = asteroid, creating large dust cloud over planet so the sources of food for the dinosaurs dries up, which is very sad for the massive reptiles, but then it creates space on the food chain for small furry mammals to thrive. Cockroaches, too, though. [
Marketwatch] (Photo:
u2acro)
sprint
Sprint has asked some of its employees to consider
voluntarily resigning by December 3rd in exchange for a compensation package. Says a spokesperson, "No one is being forced to do anything. There are no forced reductions. There are no layoffs in store. It's a matter of employees having the option to exercise discretion. No targets have been announced."
IntoMobile says retail store employees and managers are not being included in the offer.
Update: We've received a little more info from an anonymous tipster about the
downsizing, and what it might mean for customers of Sprint.
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14 Oz. To Freedom
Although we've been covering the unpleasant phenomenon of the grocery
shrink ray for a while, we've been slightly relieved that the shrinking products were things like
soap,
gum, and
orange juice—not crucial staples of our existence. Not anymore, according to the
Wall Street Journal: Bars and restaurants are
shrinking their beers. The horror!
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shrink ray
In an attempt to cut expenses on donuts and signage, this
Safeway in Oakland, CA. reduced their "dozen" from 14 to 12, reader Leonard discovered. We would have preferred a new sign or no sign at all. The "14" crossed out with a Sharpie simply mocks us.
warning signs
If you're still on the fence about whether to spend your stimulus check, pay off debt with it, or stock up on ramen noodles,
this checklist may help you decide. Some of the tips are pretty unnecessary—"your job duties are marginalized" and "your company plans to move to a smaller building" shouldn't be hard to decipher. It never hurts to remind yourself about some of the signs of an impending downsize, however.
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complaints
Provoked by
our post on the same, Derrick was enraged that Hellman's has reduced the size of their mayo jars from 32 to 30 oz, while keeping the same price. He wrote them a letter and here's how the sandwich Nazis responded:
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mayo
"Some things always come in quarts: milk, motor oil, and mayonnaise, for example. You don't have to look at the net weight statement, because a quart is 32 ounces, and that is what you always get," writes the
MousePrint blog.
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ford
After thirty years with a company, it's always nice to have your shafting quickly followed by a twist of the corkscrew rigidly standing from your behind.
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Consumerist
tide
These people have decided to simplify their lives by limiting themselves to only owning 100 things. Better say bye-bye to that antique button collection. [
