San Jose Mercury News news employees are bracing for more layoffs this Friday. This would be the third round in 15 months. Needless to say, morale is incredibly low at the paper, as many long-time employees have also left the Merc, foreseeing the coming of the ax.
Once again, employees will be notified via phone if they’re laid off. All staffers have been told to wait by the phone on March 7. If they don’t get a call, then they can come in to work.
They’re not the only ones in the Bay Area chewing their nails… almost all of the aproximately 1,100 employees working at the Bay Area News Group-East Bay, which includes the Oakland Tribune and Contra Costa Times, have been offered a voluntary buyout.
There’s no word on how many staff reductions they’re looking for, but they’ve made it clear they will resort to layoffs if they don’t get enough voluntary buyouts.