Freedom Communications announces furloughs

Freedom Communications, owner of 100 daily and weekly papers including The Orange County Register, revealed in a staff memo earlier this week that it will force most of its employees to take one-week furloughs to help cut costs, according to Editor & Publisher.

The memo, dated March 17, states: "the first quarter of 2009 has brought us an economy that is the most challenged since the great depression. Like other businesses, including those in our industry, we need to take additional steps sooner rather than later to try to combat this tough economic environment."
[...]It adds that those hired within the last six months will be exempt "because, as new associates to the organization, this is the ramp-up period where they are still learning the role and our preference was to not interrupt the process."

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