Ben And Mena Trott: Layoffs? They’re going to Disneyland
I couldn’t help but to comment on Ben And Mena Trott: Layoffs? They’re going to Disneyland:
Six Apart, the San Francisco blog-software company which helped spark the blogging boom, just laid off 16 of its 200 employees. And its top executives took a 15 percent paycut. Such noble sacrifice! Except that those cutbacks have not crimped the holiday plans of cofounders Ben and Mena Trott. She surprised her husband with an irony-free trip to Disneyland. That they can so blithely afford the trip…
I don’t understand how the Trotts could be criticized. The vacation is probably costing them less than $2000. Even if they somehow were obligated to return that money to the company, it would only go as far as to pay one biweekly paycheck for one admin, or half of a jr. programmer’s paycheck.
Six Apart’s decision to cut heads has no bearing on whether the Trotts should or should not be going on a budget vacation. The layoff decision may be the best strategy for the company, and could ensure that the company is around and continues to employ people, and eventually, grows again.
Now, if you told me that the Trotts expensed the trip, I might have a different opinion. Or if the Trotts were asking you or me to help pay to keep Six Apart in business.
On the other hand, if you are looking for people to criticize, you might want to consider Bob Lutz of GM, whose company is asking for a government handout, while he and his wife each own a helicopter and a private jet.
Or how about some of the financial companies who got bailed out and continue their boondoggle offsite meetings and their management bonuses.
-mz
ps. See Mina’s tongue-in-cheek pictorial response.
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