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Register One Step From Layoffs

Posted by R. Scott Moxley in Breaking News, Main, Moxley

September 29, 2006 2:09 PM

Permalink | Comments (4)

To prevent layoffs on the heels of a sharp decline in advertising revenue, Freedom Communications--the parent company of The Orange County Register--today offered voluntary severance packages to employees, according to sources.

"If not enough people opt out, then there will be layoffs," a veteran of the paper told the Weekly.

The package under consideration includes two weeks of pay for every year of service, plus $50 for every $1,000 of base pay and 26 additional weeks of paid health insurance.

Dozens of employees--perhaps as many as 50 or more--need to accept the package to prevent the company from taking more drastic steps. The company delivered the news through department supervisors. There was no companywide meeting.

"People were initially shocked, followed by a feeling of, 'Well, I'm not surprised given the downsizing going on in the industry,'" said a Reg employee.

In July, new Freedom Communications CEO Scott Flanders announced that he was re-organizing the company's newspaper divisions to cut costs.

A company spokeswoman did not return a call for comment at the time of this post.

Ironically, the Irvine-based company is willing to push out (much needed) veteran employees while spending millions of dollars a year to launch journalistically questionable spin-offs such as Squeeze OC and OC Post.

 

Comments (4)

  1. Matt says:
    September 29, 2006 14:09

    So this is how it works: as Register reporters reach the middle of their stories they will be let go, making the articles the perfect length for OC Post. It's diabolical! BWAA-HAA-HAAA!!!

  2. Alex Brant-Zawadzki says:
    September 29, 2006 15:09

    Aw crap. This just means there's going to be a huge influx of decent Register reporters into the unempolyment pool - making it THAT much more difficult to get a job at a real paper like the Weekly. Curses. Better start brushing up on my data-entry skills...

  3. Gabe says:
    September 29, 2006 20:09

    Screw Squeeze OC. Screw the OC Post. Screw the Register.

  4. The Blotter » Great Moments in Understatement says:
    October 3, 2006 09:10

    [...] It's that sort of bold and insightful reporting that's gotten the Orange County Register where it is today. [...]

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