Company's Cost Cutting

**Siebrie** · 02-02-2009, 09:19 AM

Well, today we received a second set of cost cutting measures in our office from HR.

Some are hilarious:

- bring all stationary from your office to the central stationary room; you are allowed to keep 1 pen and 1 pencil, and some paper to write on.
- From now on, our kitchens will be provided with coffee, tea and water.

I mean, who needs milk, cola and fruit juices at work? Coffee and tea are fine for me, this is the first company I worked for that actually had all these extras.

As long as the company's managers think this will keep all of us at HQ in a job, I don't think we are in too much trouble.

**annertak** · 02-02-2009, 11:14 AM

I think I'd go nuts with only one pen. I lose my pen so many times in a day! That's nice that they used to offer cola & fruit juice! How much were they going through if they think that will make up the budget shortfall? LOLOL

**mommy4ever** · 02-02-2009, 11:18 AM

Dh came home last week with a company travel mug and water bottle. It was cheaper for the company to supply these to each employee rather than all the disposables, there were spending over $2500 in styrofoam and plastic cups

Due to being a licensed company, they make things in bulk so it was at a cost of less than $2 per person to provide these, a savings of over $2000.

Dh thinks it's kinda funny, as he only drinks water a work and uses a pop bottle. He doesn't do any hot drinks. BUt it does make sense.

**Gardengal18** · 02-02-2009, 11:41 AM

Now there's an idea that most companies should catch onto. It's also "green" as well as saves money.

**mommy4ever** · 02-02-2009, 12:04 PM

It is a great idea! I just don't know how long a shop full of men will last with having to *wash* their mugs! But we're enjoying them. Dh doesn't use them at work, but dd11 uses the water bottle and I use the mug.

**frugalbabe** · 02-02-2009, 12:45 PM

Well, at least they're trying! My dh works for a government subcontractor and it is business as usual waste, waste, and more waste -- with the government encouraging them and cheering them on.

**Gardengal18** · 02-02-2009, 12:47 PM

Well why not? It's the tax payers money after all so plenty more where that came from seems to be the attitude of late

**rainbowgc** · 02-02-2009, 01:13 PM

Well better that than cutting jobs!

**joyofsix** · 02-02-2009, 01:50 PM

This stuff drove me crazy when I worked for the state. Waste and more waste and then when things got tight they rationed our toilet paper. Bureaucracy is another word for unwieldy stupidity.

**ShadowMom** · 02-02-2009, 02:01 PM

They removed all the light bulbs from the vending machines to save money

And I am temporarily out of a job, my position was emininated due to budget cuts, but they are starting another project and are supposed to call me back whenever it starts.

**Katybird** · 02-02-2009, 02:08 PM

I applaud them for at least trying to cut cost via supplies rather than jobs. I love the idea of giving out the reusable water bottles and mugs, what a great idea. I wish more companies would do this instead of relying on Styrofoam that will never biodegrade.

**beks37** · 02-02-2009, 02:09 PM

I agree that it is better to cut out the extras rather than someone's job. At my job, they use syrafoam cups for coffee and water. I reuse my cup for weeks at a time. But, others don't. I'm sure there would be some savings if they went to reusable cups. But, I'm sure no one at my job cares since we are all losing are jobs anyways.

**sabrelvssammy** · 02-02-2009, 02:11 PM

just wait til they put your one pen on a chain (like they do at the bank)..then you can't take that one either.....

**starsapphire** · 02-02-2009, 03:33 PM

Heck, the first business day of January they stopped paying for the bottled water. They said we could drink tap water. The tap water (in our building) is nasty tasting and our building was built in the 50's and the pipes are all rusty and whatnot. They said we could not pay it ourselves to have bottled water service (I don't know why?) Our department was setting it up to do it anyway! Then all of a sudden on the day we were getting it, they said we could (huh?) We have bottled water again but now we pay 10 bucks per per person every three months.

**Momto2Boyz** · 02-02-2009, 03:49 PM

That is too funny! Seriously, I'd lose the ONE pen in the first hour! I'd probably bring a stash from home and hide them in my desk!

Dh's company makes them pay for coffee, like back in the good old days! 10 cents a cup! They've done it since the company opened (waaaaaay back when...I don't even know how many years they've been around) and no one has ever griped about it, so they've just left it that way!