The cutbacks reached across multiple departments and locations but hit CareerBuilder’s small business unit the hardest, the Tribune reports. CareerBuilder has a staff of about 2,000, suggesting somewhere in the ballpark of 15 percent got the ax.

The changes aren’t necessarily a surprise when you consider the companies behind the site: CareerBuilder is 50 percent owned by Gannett — which has dealt with enough cutbacks within its own ranks to inspire a dedicated Gannett layoffs Web site — and 30 percent owned by Tribune, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this week. (McClatchy and Microsoft also own small shares of the company.)

The employees losing their jobs were reportedly given the notice at the end of last week.

Unfortunate Irony: CareerBuilder Lays Off 300 Employees is a post from: The Inquisitr

The site, operated by an Ohio law firm looking to “protect” the “layoff rights” of Gannett workers, was just registered last Tuesday, December 2. It’s already filled with advice for those fearing the ax may fall.

“Laid off employees have numerous rights under state and federal law. Signing a release, separation agreement, severance agreement or similar document may waive these rights and bar you from enforcing your legal rights, so it is important to understand the rights you may be waiving,” the site says.

Of course, it then goes on to offer free consultation and the option to enlist full legal services.

Interesting phenomenon, especially being that the site has managed to grab the attention of Gannett employees within its first week. Wonder if the firm put out a targeted press release?

This also made me curious if the specific [company]layoffs.com site idea had been around for a while, and I just hadn’t heard of it until now. Could be. For what it’s worth, though, as of the time of this posting, tribunelayoffs.com isn’t registered yet. Neither is newsdaylayoffs.com. Think we’ll see any takers?

Gannett Layoffs Inspire Their Own Web Site is a post from: The Inquisitr

The company bought Pearls Review, Paid Content reports, a certification and continuing eduation site for nurses. The same report from which that revelation was plucked also contained previously unreported facts about Gannett’s digital revenues. While its broadcast and print incomes have been falling at the speed of light, it turns out Gannett’s digital dollars are up — and by a good amount, too. Revenue from the company’s online properties, Paid Content discovered, more than quadrupled in the third quarter of 2008 — jumping from $17.2 million to $77.6 million. When it comes to the year, the total has nearly doubled from ’07, moving from $46.6 million to $111.5 million so far.

Well, that must be a relief for the scores of workers losing their jobs. At least they can go into the unemployment line knowing that their company is actually making money — just not money that it wants to spend on, you know, providing them employment. Or substantial severence.

Attention Gannett Employees: Your Company Is Now Making Money. But You’re Still Being Laid Off. is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chief Executive Craig Dubow made the heroic announcement in an internal memo picked up by former Gannett veteran Jim Hopkins’ blog this week. “All Gannett employees are making deep sacrifices for their company,” Dubow writes. “I have great empathy for those employees and their families who have lost their jobs.”

Other execs are already heaping on the praise, Hopkins reports. “We commend Craig for his leadership in taking this step,” writes Gannett Presiding Director Karen Hastie Williams.

The memo emphasizes that Dubow’s rate cut is a whopping 17 percent. It is — if you factor in only his base salary of $1.2 million a year. But once you add in bonuses, stock awards and options, and deferred compensation interest earnings, he’s pulling in a cool $7.5 mil, Reuters notes. All added together, the now 3 percent drop seems slightly less significant. Though, to be fair, when you’re used to making $7,500,000, dropping down to $7,300,000 could be a big adjustment.

Gannett’s most recent cutbacks follow the elimination of about a thousand jobs back in August. The company saw an 18 percent drop in advertising revenue this past quarter compared to the same time last year. Its shares have also fallen more than 75 percent in the past year. Executives have indicated more layoffs could be on the way soon.

But hey, at least the people at the top are doing their part, too — right?

Opinion: Gannett CEO’s Pay Cut Seems Overhyped is a post from: The Inquisitr