By Scott Pohl, WKAR News
LANSING, MI – The Lansing State Journal is laying off 26 employees in the latest round of payroll reductions being instituted by the paper's owner, the Gannett Company. None of those laid off are reporters, but the paper says that virtually every other department is affected.
The layoffs from LSJ media include positions at the Gannett-owned Lansing Community Newspaper weeklies, specialty publications and web sites. There also is a reduction in hours for two positions.
Most cuts should be completed this week.
Workers are no longer getting a compensation package amounting to a week's pay for each year of service. Instead, Gannett is giving what they call "transitional pay." When added to Michigan's unemployment insurance, the amount will equal the former employee's prior salary. That will be given for one week per year of service, up to 36 weeks. The former severance pay package topped out at 26 weeks.