I certainly realize that cutting staff is effective in curbing overheads but there are additional ways that won't effect the customers but are often overlooked. For example, many of our employees fail to book the lowest airfare and simply only fly those airlines where they have frequent flyer status with the most perks. Many of our field and home office personnel fly between 30 flights to 100 flights per year which adds significantly to overheads. Simple solution to prove me correct or wrong-- have the travel department select the top 20 flyers in the home office and view their past 25-50 flights and you will see that they fly the same carrier even when other carriers are 30-40% cheaper. I have heard these employees brag about getting upgraded to first class because they fly 100,000 miles per year on the same airlines. United has one gate at Cincinnati versus multiple gates for other airlines but I know some home office people that will only fly United to Cincinnati which is sometimes twice the costs. These same employees will only stay in hotel chains where they have status even at a premium cost to the company. If Follett puts a stop to that, then the other cuts, i.e., employes cuts will still be hard but everyone will share in this reductions. I wish I was wrong but in this case I used to be one of those people but just couldn't continue doing it once my teammates starting getting laid off. Management--please stop this practice immediately to show others that you care about these things that are hurting our company.
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@ Any Mouse that frugality is only applied to the little people of wholesale I'm sure.
- No I don't have any of those perks. Maybe I think it's ok because traveling to me is difficult. And yes I still have a job but waiting for the ax to fall again. Didn't mean to hurt any feelings. I have a lot of sympathy for those who've lost their jobs and the way in which it was done. I'm looking for another job because I don't want to to work for a company that treats their employees like this.
That's because you still have a job and as a manager I'm sure you enjoy some of those perks yourself, my manager did.
Aren't travel expenses tax deductible. I don't mind those that need to travel having some perks. I'm a store manager and it doesn't bother me.
6930
Traveling to a party followed by a football game is tough. In who's world? Why wasn't the whole junket trashed? That meet and greet pissed all over the line between bad taste and hubris.
To those wh'd party on the camps where they trashed 8 careers: UP YOURS YOU SCUM!
I agree, they should find the cheapest fare, car rental and hotel. I also find it unlikely that they are traveling on "their time". They are traveling between the hours of 8am and 5pm.
Sure there may be a few travel skunks out there, but not at Wholesale my gosh they are frugal with travel!
yes, those in the stores who work 60 hr. weeks would like comp time too, seems 'reasonable', but we never got it.
Traveling is hard work, being away from home on Sundays and flying back late on Friday's. It seems reasonable to have a few perks to compensate.
This past November, right after the layoff, scores of Follett brass flew to California to party at the Stanford V Cal football game. The lunch was catered on the knoll between the football stadium and the track (within eyeshot of Follett owned athletic shop). There were goody bags. I'm sure many of the brass flew in their first class upgrades. They rented cars larger than midsize. They stayed in hotels nicer than La Quinta. Yet, these are the people who decide who to cut and when.