RE: Tuesday's news: cost-cutting measures

Subject: RE: Tuesday's news: cost-cutting measures
From: Thomas Eagles <tekwriter -at- sympatico -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 2002 11:31:26 -0400


Jane wrote:

> Okay, I've just been told I'm "at risk of redundancy"...
> and unless I or the company can think up some "cost-
> cutting measures" by Friday, I'll be formally redundant.

> Assuming that they mean it when they say "cost-cutting
> measures" - my first thought is to offer to go part-time.

I think that's an excellent idea if you can afford to do so. As you point out, it leaves you time to pursue other options while still having *some* income. OTOH, you may want to immediately suggest working on contract and saving them from having to pay you during the downtime between dev cycles -- at which time you would ordinarily be reworking old docs, training, or doing something else productive but not really adding to their bottom line, as new user docs do, for instance.

> (My second thought is, of course, to go home, polish up
> the CV, start URGENTLY sending it out to all and sundry.
> The two thoughts can, of course, be carried out in
> parallel.)

And that's exactly what I'd do, anyway. Keep your resume current in in circulation.

With regard to making the offer to work part-time something that they would consider, I'd suggest the following.

1) put together a formal proposal. Base it on contract rather than part-time salary. Did they mention how much they'd like you to save them? Is there a figure that makes sense? Ten per cent savings? 40 per cent? Focus on that, if it exists. Don't forget how much not paying for your benefits will save them (assuming you can afford to do without them, or that you have them in the first place).

2) your argument has to convince them that you are needed there, and should not gloss over the fact that a part-time writer won't accomplish as much as a full-time writer.

3) know that if you are well-paid, they *may* be hoping you will voluntarily leave so they can hire someone cheaper. If so, then your offer to work part-time on contract may backfire, since they'll be getting less work out of you, and won't have a full-time person. OTOH, if they replace you with a full-time person, they may think he/she will provide instant productivity. Disabuse them of this notion, and focus on ramping-up costs for the company to bring in someone new and cheaper.

4) if you would prefer to remain as a full-timer, is there something you can do or add to another department to spread your value out over the entire organization? Perhaps if your salary is paid out of two budgets rather than one, it'll be more palatable to them.

5) how receptive are they to contractors? Would they be willing to let you work on per-hour contract? If so, that would be my FIRST suggestion to them, rather than part-time salaried.

HTH,

Tom


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