Conference 7.286::digital

    I have to assume those "biggies" mentioned in -1 were salaried. So how
    does requiring a salaried employee to take a day off effectively cut
    his/her pay?
    
    Ken

    If he's not in, he's not telling a not-so-biggie to do dumb and
    wasteful things instead of productive work.

    Oh I see,the hourly people get only four days pay but the salaried
    folks get paid their normal salary. Sounds like the basis for a hell of
    a lawsuit. Are you saying that the hourly types let that go by? Must
    not be unionized!
    
    Ken

    
    Perhaps the total strategy of "downsizing" is yet to unfold,
    but the cuts are happening to secretaries, facilities people
    and software specialists.  Thus, I don't see that management
    considers management to be a part of the problem, so why cut
    their salaries?
    
    

Browsing through a magazine the other night, I saw Specs on DEC that said KO
earns approx $950K, Jack Smith and Win Hindle about $600K each.  Lets take the
other 100 plus VP's and assume that they make about 300K, Take 10% off that
and there is 3 Million saved.

Now, I support the concept of appropriate executive renumeration more than
most. (my father retired from being CEO of a large corporation, and earned
every cent of the substantial salary that he took home.)

But, there is an obvious opportunity here, for senior management to put their
money where their mouth is (not in their hip pocket). We (the DEC masses) have
accepted Mediocre renumeration even in times of economic success. I don't
think that it is appropriate for us to continue to bear the brunt.

Of course, if we saw some definitive aggressive revenue-making (not cost
cutting) action from the Top, I wouldn't mind so much...

q

    re .1 ... maybe this'll help clarify the HP thing.  They cut everyone's
    pay by 10%, and then reduced the work-week proportionately.  And I
    mean everyone, even old man Hewlett...in fact it was his idea.  This
    was the period when the 3000 series was designed.
    
    .4 .... You think there's a downsizing "strategy"???  You jest, sir.
    
    Anyhow, how could our biggies live with a 10% cut???  Their stock
    options have changed to poo-poo ca-ca, and with a further 10% cut,
    some of them would be reduced to living on 5-6000 thou a week.  Have
    a heart already!!

    ........Can't say I wouldn't like a 4 day work
    week, even with my paycheck scaled to match.  
    The $$ I would save on gas & car maintenance alone
    would probably make me come out ahead.....
    
    HRH

re: .7

>    ........Can't say I wouldn't like a 4 day work
>    week, even with my paycheck scaled to match.  

I've often wondered why, instead of increasing the minimum wage, the US
government doesn't start reducing the number of hours in the work week.
Supposedly more "leisure time" causes people to spend more money, which
is good for the consumer spending and tax picture.  Plus it might make
more people be employable in part-time situations that wouldn't otherwise
be available (either through "job-sharing" or some other similar type of
program).  It's clear in the computer services business (not to mention
numerous retail operations) that the total work week may be more than 5
days of 8 hours a day, but it's hard to stagger coverage of the > 40 hour
portion when so many people are geared to 40 hour a week jobs.  It sounds
as though countries in Europe weasel around this problem by providing
many more paid vacation and holiday days.  Why not just bite the bullet
and reduce the work week to, say, 36 hours in the US?

(I realize this is a borderline SOAPBOX topic, so, again, moderators
feel free to delete without prior warning or notification.)
								paul

    A few back:
    
    "The cuts are happening to secretaries, facilities people... " etc.,
    Can you substantiate that?  I'm most interested in the fact that you
    said "secretaries."  Are you aware of one instance?  Several?  And
    where (geography)?  
    
    Thank you for your reply.

re .8

Because reducing the hours in the work week without increasing the minimum
wage to make up for it would be seen as benefitting the rich (everyone with
a salaried job is rich) and soaking the poor (hourly workers would receive
less pay).

re: .10

Yeah, obviously salaries would have to be adjusted down, not for the
sake of proletarian fellowship but for corporate economic reasons! ;-)

								paul

    I could see getting a pay cut and being told not to show up for work
    every Friday.  I'd still show up to work.  In fact, I'd still put in
    excess of 40 hours per week.  That's just the nature of my job.
    
    Steve

    Maybee I'm losing something in the translation, but 1 day/week is NOT
    10% its 20% pay cut. I think that the idea is ok but the amount of time 
    (Like 1 day every otherc week) should be looked at.

    Maybe instead of working for zip we could work for pay.
    
    Maybe instead of giving hardware away we could sell it.
    
    Maybe instead of paying people to fo we could pay them to stay.
    
    buzz

    I have a relative who works for the State of California.  My third-hand
    information is that, starting July 1, he will not only get a reduction
    in his hourly rate, but also a reduction in his hours.  He won't be
    working for something like two days a month.
        John Sauter

    re .7
    
    Extending your logic, you'd be better off not working at all.  Think of
    all the gas and maintenance you could save then.

re Note 1494.16 by SAHQ::LUBER:

>     Extending your logic, you'd be better off not working at all.  Think of
>     all the gas and maintenance you could save then.

        Thoreau made that argument, I believe in
        "Walden," that a person who didn't have a job had far fewer
        expenses, such as for good clothes and extra food for
        strength to carry out the labors.

        Bob

    Was Thoreau a DECCIE?  He came from that neck of the woods, didn't he? 
    Pond-er that for a while.

    re: .9
    
    In Central Region, there have been specific instances of cuts of both
    secretaries and facilities people.  I personally attended a going-away
    party for a secretary.  
    
    I doubt CER is unique in this regard.
    
    FYI