How New Zealanders are coping with the recession!

From CNN - How New Zealanders are coping with the recession. This is going to you make you laugh - and may make you want to buy a beanbag. Just click on the link below:

http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-268293

And great news - www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com is Radio New Zealand's website of the week.

Latest media for the site...

Recent media for the site!

We’re big fans of New Zealander Justin Brown around the office. The spunky author once lost a rugby bet. The wager? He had to fly to England, and sing and play his guitar door-to-door busking for money until he had enough to travel home (He wrote about the adventure in his book UK on a G-String.) In any case, Justin was recently laid off after 10 years at his job in radio. But instead of moping about it, he’s decided to create a this great new site. And because we (mental_floss) haven’t laid anyone off, Justin generously added us to his list! If you’re a healthy corporation eager to brag about your impressive job retention stats, be sure to check out the site.

What recession?

Apparently we are now in a 'normal recession.'

According to the IMF, the world economy is stabilising. The report said advanced economies as a group are still projected not to show a sustained pickup in activity until the second half of 2010.

Oh, and don’t expect increases in unemployment to abate within a year either.

The report also recommends that 'work should begin on exit strategies from financial, monetary and fiscal support policies in order to minimise market uncertainty, and that these strategies should be consistent across countries to avoid opportunities for financial and regulatory arbitrage. 'Medium-term policies should help establish a lasting framework of sound financial regulation, sustainable fiscal balances, and price stability.'

2010? Okay, hold off on the world trip and new spa pool, but at least - let's hope your job is safe for now...

Destroying Lives at the stroke of pen

I read an article today from the Gulf Daily News.

As we know, many companies need to make layoffs to survive, but many bosses are using this recession as an excuse. Here are some highlights:

'Any employer who looks to make staff redundant should first look at the disastrous consequences for individuals, for anyone rendered unemployed during a recession of this magnitude may well be on the scrap heap for the rest of their lives.

I would ask anyone sitting in their office striking names off the payroll to ask themselves first how they would feel going home to their family to say that there was no more money coming in.

Many, many people have very limited savings and the sudden loss of that monthly pay packet may literally mean an empty larder within days of being made redundant.

Redundancy is not a small thing, it is a catastrophe from which some people never recover.

So, Mr Manager, if you are sitting at your desk looking at names on a list, put a face to them, think of their families and ask your heart if what you are doing is right, or even really necessary.

http://tinyurl.com/mdewxt

Belated Christmas Card...

More Good Guys - M2 Magazine!

http://www.m2magazine.co.nz

M2 has a bunch of magazines covering Men's Health, Men's Lifestyle, and now, M2 for Women. I caught up with them and asked how they're coping in the recession!

Tell us about your business.

We publish M2, M2woman, M2TECH & M2AUTO magazines

What is your attitude towards the recession?

It's tough, but helps you focus on what matters.

Do you have a recession plan?

Continue to more & more value for our valued customers.

How do you keep staff happy/uplifted?

Treat them as you wish to be treated.

What's the biggest challenge you feel your company faces, and how do you inspire your employees to meet it head on?

Keep focused on what matters - as the late great Sir Peter Blake always said, "Will it make the boat go faster?"

Who is your ideal target customer?

25-49 year old men & women.

How do we find out more about your business?

Simply visit: M2magazine.co.nz or M2woman.co.nz

Proof - Layoffs are a toxic solution

Here are some great quotes about layoffs and why they're not always the answer:

Downsizing or doing layoffs is a toxic solution. Used sparingly and with planning downsizing can be an organizational lifesaver, but when layoffs are used repeatedly without a thoughtful strategy, downsizing can destroy an organization's effectiveness.

How you treat people really matters - to the people who leave and the people who remain.

One outcome of downsizing must be to preserve the organization's intellectual capital.
How downsized employees are treated directly affects the morale and retention of valued, high-performing employees who are not downsized.

More from the article can be found here:

http://humanresources.about.com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing.htm

Getting Laid (Off) has it's pluses!

This is cool.

Yolanda's Bridal Salon in Boston is going to award three wedding dresses to laid off brides.

“We wanted to do something to help all those brides who got laid off or lost jobs because of the economic situation. Brides who don’t have to pay for a gown or bridesmaid dresses can use the money to pay other bills. It’s just a small way of giving back.”

Sure, it's a gimmick, but any publicity at the moment, right?

http://bit.ly/i7SaL

After-After Work Drinks

Redundancy leads to increased drinking - tell us something we didn't know!

PEOPLE affected by redundancy are hitting the bottle, a report out yesterday suggests. Charity Drinkaware found that one in 10 Britons either made redundant or close to someone who had lost their job in the last six months is drinking more.

Of those, 49 per cent said their daytime alcohol intake had increased. In the survey of 2253 adults, 71 per cent said heavier drinking was directly linked to redundancy.

Losing a job was also found to damage emotional wellbeing, with 55 per cent of those affected suffering mood swings, anxiety or boredom. Chris Sorek, chief executive of Drinkaware, said: "The country is facing one of its worst recessions in history and redundancies are making daily headlines.

"Losing your job is one of the most stressful life events and people turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism. But alcohol is a depressant and can lead to further stress and anxiety."

It really is possible - and worth it long term!

Sometimes I feel like a lone wolf promoting 'Non-layoffs.'

But here is a great quote!

Being mindful of the pitfalls of large scale downsizing and employee redundancy was the clear message that Heather Ridout, Chairman of the Australian Industry Group gave to business in a recent interview. Heather is not a lone voice in the wilderness on this topic. In the wake of weekly announcements that big business is shedding staff in mammoth proportions, other business and political leaders are joining a growing voice around the world warning of the consequences of these knee-jerk reactions to sustain short-term business viability.

http://climateforchangebook.com/wordpress/

新しいウェブサイトはスタッフを置かない会社を祝う!

www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com/ has made it to Japan.

Thanks to google I could translate the link, and here's what it said:

New website to celebrate company does not have a staff

Made to collide at an extra HOSUTOJASUTINBURAUN (I think that's my name) the radio in the morning before his world came Christmas. (I think they're trying to say my world came crashing down before Christmas.)

But he took the feeling of anger and hostility, and positive to celebrate the company failed to door staff to do something - I turned website.

Love it...

Why you need to be on this site!

I had a great email from Chris Williams, MD of King Street Advertising (http://www.kingst.co.nz/index.php) and he reiterates what others have said about being on this website: 'It feels like we're hanging out with companies with similar business acumen; we feel like we're part of the same family; and we could become part of something enormous!'

www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com is still an infant, but is generating some real interest.

My main aim at the moment is to get your company noticed!

Gawker and Chicago Reader

Thanks to these guys for giving http://www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com/ a shoutout.

http://gawker.com/5280359/ has a very funny line about their own company's actions.

And http://www.chicagoreader.com/ is just cool. I want to write for you guys!

Hope everyone's weekend is going great...

Let's lay off the firefighters!

Call me old fashioned, but I would have thought when it comes to keeping your community safe, firefighters are essential. Tell that to Lehigh Acres Fire Department in South Florida. They're making nine firefighters redundant. What next? Nurses and policemen? Talk to any fireman; most don't even do it for the money, they do it to help people.

Damn credit crunch.

http://www.winknews.com/news/local/46666412.html

The CNN interview

The only version of my interview I could find online didn't have Richard Quest's elegant intro.

So here it is in it's entirety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlyeS7ZJWAo

Please pass it on to all those companies who value their staff!

A publisher who hasn't laid anyone off? In these times?

Great company, this. I caught up http://www.cleanslatepress.com

Tell us about your business, what do you do?

Clean Slate Press is a publisher of innovative literacy and social studies resources for the international education market. We create grade-appropriate material that is curriculum-linked for each market we sell to. We present series overviews and prototypes to international publishers, who then, if we’ve done our jobs properly, commit to the series. The market we’ve been most successful in is Canada, and we’re also starting to reap rewards from the U.S.

We are also publishers/distributors for the NZ/Aus market. Providing quality materials for NZ/Aus teachers and students is something we are very passionate about. We are 100% NZ owned and operated, and we are committed to serving our local market.

What is your attitude towards the recession?

While we are aware that the recession has impacted significantly on our industry and on the individual schools we sell to, we are in a growth period. This is partly due to the fact that because we are a small,dynamic company we can make decisions quickly and change our focus. We operate on several business models and try not to hold all our eggs in one basket. In some ways, we may benefit from the recession due
to large companies choosing to outsource design and editorial services from companies such as ourselves rather than work with a costly inhouse team.

Do you have a recession plan?

We don’t have a plan as such apart from continuing to grow our client base and making sure that we are open to different ways of doing business. Our hard costs, such as printing, have increased due to the recession, but our sales are up. Our policy is that we must be doing something right, so we’re just going to keep on doing it. We learn more about our industry every day.

How do you keep staff happy/uplifted?

We are lucky that our staff all want to work in the publishing industry and are passionate about their jobs. They take pride in their work, and we take pride in having such a great team. We offer our design/editorial staff flexible hours and a casual, friendly working environment. We work closely together, and every staff member is valued. We also go through quite a lot of wine!

Who is your ideal target customer?

We love all customers, but there is one company we have been wooing for several years that we would really love to do business with and that is Scholastic U.S.A. The time will come – we just have to be patient!

Dog Laid Off

In Aberdeen, Washington, The Aberdeen Police Department has laid off its K-9 dog Nitro due to budget cuts. But public outcry and support could land the pooch back on the force.

Officer Steve Timmons is raising money to bring his partner back after the German Shepherd was cut from the force earlier this month. Police Chief Bob Torgerson says laying Nitro off saves the department $12,000 a year.

Six-year-old Nitro has helped nab between 35 and 40 suspects since he joined the force in 2005. The dog has been with Timmons since he was laid off.

Tough times...

First African Good Guys!

http://www.elogixgh.com are the latest Good Guys...

They are an Information Solutions provider, focused on interactive, business desktop and internet applications that take advantage of mobility technologies. They view the recession 'as an opportunity.'

So what's their recession plan?

'To make the most out of it and capture a sizable market share.'

What's the biggest challenge Elogixgh faces, and how do they inspire their employees to meet it head on?

'Delayed payment from clients. Our consultants understand the current economic crisis, but we always provide a commission before work commences.'

Elogixgh are currently working on an enterprise application and online counselling service. Stay tuned to their website (www.elogixgh.com) for more info and launch dates. They are also open to any business/organization that requires a customized software product.

Good luck Elogixgh - and well done for surviving the recession!

C...N...N

It was an exciting day - www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com made it on to CNN.

http://tinyurl.com/lotcux

Richard Quest was great, and thank you so much for all your wonderful messages of support for the site! Keep em coming. And don't forget, if you haven't laid anyone off in the past year, send me your logo: you'll be on the site within hours.

Now that the site has featured on CNN, your company will be noticed by millions.

Another business that hasn't laid anyone off...

MTA Travel - Mobile Travel Agents - is a progressive travel management and life experience company.

So what do they do? And how are they beating the odds in this recession? Here's Managing Director, Roy Merricks:

We pioneered home working for travel consultants in Australia and after almost 10 years we are in the top 2% of travel agencies in Australia and now have more than 170MTA mobile consultants, comprising former agency managers and international and domestic specialists with exceptional product and destination knowledge.

What is your attitude towards the recession?

The recession is real. To us it represents the economy running at 95% instead of 105%We pay attention to our clients and suppliers and can only be guided by them. We are of course mindful of, but pay less attention to the media when it comes to our take on the effect of the GFC on our business and clients. It has never been a better time to travel, with amazing offers we haven’t seen the like of before.

Do you have a recession plan?

We aren’t really doing a whole lot differently to our usual business plan. We are mindful however of changes in our clients attitudes and travel requirements as a result of tougher financial times, but generally speaking it’s business as usual for us and it is proving to be a sound plan because we are still growing.

How do you keep staff happy/uplifted?

M&M’s. That’s the key!

Seriously though, we are a strong company that can offer security to its employees. We actively reinforce job security to them. They often tell us how fortunate they feel, because in these financially troubled times so many of their friends and relatives tell them how concerned they are for their jobs. MTA Travel was independently [Travel Weekly 2008 survey] voted the ‘happiest agency group’ in Australia. The ‘M&M factor’ symbolizes the fun factor of our office.

What's the biggest challenge you feel your company faces, and how do you inspire your employees to meet it head on?

The expectation of many clients, in particularly new ones, of a discount. In our leisure business we are promoting ‘life experiences’ and once clients have enjoyed one of them they understand what it is all about. We create the sorts of experiences that are remembered for a lifetime. Priceless. Our best advertising is word of mouth.

http://mtatravel.com.au

More Good Guys!

http://mental_floss.com/

mental_floss is a U.S.-based media company that takes the chore out of learning and creates content that blurs the lines between education and entertainment. They cover everything from black holes to the Dead Sea Scrolls.

And they haven't laid anyone off!

Here's a quick interview to see how they did it. (By the way, if you want to be on www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com I am more than happy to interview you and spread the word about your business.

What does Mental Floss do?

Whether it’s our magazine, our web site or our books, we teach people the things they should have learned in school, but didn’t. As one reviewer said so well – “Got a cocktail party coming up? Read mental_floss first.”

What is your attitude towards the recession?

We wish it would end today. Surprisingly, despite the very challenging economy our business continues to show significant growth. We continue to work as hard as we can to introduce more people to mental_floss, to manage our costs and grow our business.

Do you have a recession plan?

We’re always trying to improve our business by taking care of the basics: Grow the top revenue line, control expenses and give our customers value for their hard-earned dollars. By making an extra effort to work with our business partners, we’ve been able to significantly reduce our expenses and improve our margins.

How do you keep staff happy/uplifted?

We choose our employees very carefully and feel we have an absolutely first-class team. We also try to create an environment that mirrors the nature of the magazine –freewheeling, creative and flexible.

What's the biggest challenge you feel your company faces, and how do you inspire your employees to meet it head on?

There’s never enough time to do everything we want to do. There are so many great opportunities, the real challenge is focusing on the most important ones. One big challenge at the moment is managing growth as we continue to develop our brand. We share financial information and how we’re doing with our employees and welcome ideas from everyone on staff on how we can do better. We don’t spend a lot of time worrying about organization charts or hierarchy.

Norway? No way!

Norway, take a bow.

Instead of spending your oil riches, you saved, and you are now 'growing' in the midst of a global recession. Top of the class, Norway, and you can go home early.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/business/global/14frugal.html?_r=1

The Good Guys

http://www.wehaventlaidanyoneoff.com/ is still in its infancy, but it's worth giving a huge shoutout to those companies who have explored every avenue (and succeeded!) before getting rid of staff. As each company joins, I thought I could highlight them so you know more about The Good Guys!

Stanton Street Technology

Stanton Street, one of the first El Paso, Texas web development companies, opened its doors in 1999. From the start, they have always valued their clients, quality and continued customer care. Their mission is to provide the best internet solutions to better connect you and your company with the world. And they haven't laid anyone off in the worst recession in history!

http://www.stantonstreetgroup.com

You think we've got it tough!

We don't know the half of it. At least when OUR recession is taking place, the dishes wash themselves, the fridge cools the beer, and we have a choice of 10,000 songs in something the size of a cigarette packet. In the 30s, they did it tough - as these pictures show:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/sets/72157618541455384

And I had to show you this - a bricklayer in Bangladesh...top effort my man!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzgaigjKXTE

Mashable does it again

When you've been laid off you need practical advice, but also a laugh. And Mashable have combined the two pretty well in '30 websites you should visit when you've been laid off.'

http://mashable.com/2009/02/19/laid-off-sites/

Recession Depression

Alright, just because it's a recession doesn't mean it needs to be a depression. Here's a few clips to make you laugh. The first clip has some blue language, but I'm sure you can handle it.

Man in the box - Jeremy's laid off

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt17rX0Pwu0

Secondly, the credit crunch spares nobody:

Layoffs at sesame street

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69tFfdNTNg4