Work Woes

Our new Mayor has put a hiring freeze into effect. What this means for our department is NO new staff. Period. Well, we got one slipped by him but it wasn't my receptionist position. I just lost my receptionist to another department last week and I'm not allowed to hire a replacement.

I have a 4-person office so it means I'm having to answer the phones, file, receive and send the mail, order supplies, etc. All the stuff my receptionist used to do. I don't mind having to do all that but it sure cuts into the time I'm supposed to be doing my job. My other staff is helping with phones and mail, but the rest of the stuff falls to me because they don't know how to do it and they have full jobs also.

Our Mayor has now announced that our city is facing another $9,000,000 deficit this year and he has demanded that "we" somehow cut the budget by that amount in the last 5 months of 2009. Good Luck! Of course we don't have to come up with all of it, but there is an expectation that we will work more for less money. I suppose I should be thankful I still have a job and our city isn't having to pay with I.O.U's like California.

My director, who is already filling two positions, was just told today that he's required to accept another 5% paycut as of August 1. He already had to take a 3% cut earlier this year.

I'm afraid it's going to get much worse before it gets better. The bad economy has been a bit slow in coming to Alaska, but I think it's starting to creep in. I've heard of at least 4 acquantances who have been laid off from jobs in just the past couple weeks.

No use worrying. As my boss loves to say, "It is what it is." We'll get through it.