No free coffee at FLORIDA TODAY

[Gump]

There is no free lunch, and apparently there is no free coffee anymore either here at FLORIDA TODAY.

The coffee service officially ended the week of July the 20th, and although the equipment is still in place throughout the building, it will be removed shortly.
We were given the option of buying our own coffee maker and supplies as long at it is a coffee maker with a thermos and had no hot plate. Originally the only coffee makers allowed were commercial grade, but that got recanted the same day the notice went out. The personal coffee makers has to be placed in the same location, the coffee stations, as the commercial service had theirs installed. This opens up the possiblity of my coffee, brewed on my coffee machine, paid for with my money, becomes the victim of being utilized by non-contributing co-workers.
We were also given the opportunity to continue the contract with the company who provides the current coffee makers and supplies, but who can afford the base line amount of $60+ (so I was told)?
The other option was for us to buy coffee from the food service people, who has a lunch counter and kitchen that they rent from FLORIDA TODAY. I think that several years ago I was told, that the companies who rent space (keyword is rent) here to sell lunches and beverages to the employees also pay a percentage of their sales to FLORIDA TODAY.

So to sum up, by elliminating the free coffee service FLORIDA TODAY saves a considerable amount of money. I get that...
Then we are given a set of options with pretty much only one correct answer, and that is to buy on a cup by cup basis from the lunch counter. I get that too...
Now FLORIDA TODAY is actually making money of us when we purchase our coffee from the friendly people the lunch counter. I do not get that...

Have anyone ever heard of a newsroom without free coffee? I thought that coffee was more important than oxygen in a newsroom, but I must be mistaken...

Why do FLORIDA TODAY charge rent from a company who provides a service to the employees? The amount of electricity they use during the half day they are here can't even run the press for 2 minutes.

[Guest]

Have anyone ever heard of a newsroom without free coffee?

Yeah. I used to work for a non-Gannett paper that had no free coffee (there was a coffee vending machine in the lunchroom), no on-site food service, no plastic utensils, no cups, no tea bags, no ice, no water. Nothing.

[anony-mouse]

Gawd are you Gannett folks spoiled! Our newspaper has NO FREE anything, let alone coffee!

Mileage is 24 cents a mile, too. Is yours that low?

[Ex-Gannettoid]

I agree, very spoiled over the years! Except for those recently-bought papers, where they had the worst of both worlds.

Of course, the downside for Gannett employees is that, while they had it "better" than news folk at most other companies, they still had to deal with:

1. Dreadful little despot publishers
2. Corporate thuggery.
3. Corporate PC-ism run amok.
4. Snivling little ratty EEs and MEs.
5. No support from above.
6. Rampant cronyism.

So there is a downside to everything. Frankly, I'd rather sling garbage than work for gannett again.

[formeremployee]

Where in the world do you get a coffeepot that doesn't have a hotplate? We never got free coffee in Fort Myers either. We were also encouraged to buy it from the cafe people at $1 a cup. I emailed everyone who regularly took coffee from our group pot and asked for $5 to buy bulk coffee. The people who didn't donate quit taking our coffee. I'm surprised the water service wasn't eliminated. We also provided our own microwave, refrigerator, etc. I thought we were going to have to start doing our own cleaning and pest control. You think no free coffee is bad, I worked in a cinder block, sunless, low-ceiling, dreary, tile-floored room that had electric boxes and wires right next to my head. It was dirty and there were ants and bugs all over the floor. We asked many times to be moved to one of the many newer empty offices around the building but they always said maybe when the economy picks up. Of course, the way things sound with this ad production business, my former colleagues may be seeing a lot more sunshine during the day. Maybe after a couple months their white cell count will return to normal.

[Guest]

Are you kidding me? There's a microwave and a fridge in the cafeteria. Be glad there's still free water. So you have to make your own coffee...big deal!

People like you are annoying to work with. All you do is complain. Don't like it? Find another job. I know, not easy to do right now...but at least look!

[nightstalker]

At FLORIDA TODAY the situation has gone from bad to worse.
Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but I have it from a totally unreliable source, that the next thing to go is the water coolers. We will be able to purchase or lease colers at own cost, but will have to provide our own power source. Also discussed are parking meters at unassigned parking spots (customers excluded), a water fee for tap water, pay as you go toilet paper and coin operated light switches (rest rooms seems to be the first target).
Also reported is, that jantorial staff are on the chopping block when classes on safe and proper use of wet mops and waste disposal becomes available.

I'll update as more information becomes available!

[guest]

At FLORIDA TODAY the situation has gone from bad to worse.
Nothing has been confirmed as of yet, but I have it from a totally unreliable source, that the next thing to go is the water coolers. We will be able to purchase or lease colers at own cost, but will have to provide our own power source. Also discussed are parking meters at unassigned parking spots (customers excluded), a water fee for tap water, pay as you go toilet paper and coin operated light switches (rest rooms seems to be the first target).
Also reported is, that jantorial staff are on the chopping block when classes on safe and proper use of wet mops and waste disposal becomes available.

I'll update as more information becomes available!

Pay as you go toilet paper - is that per tug or per flush because I tug heartily and would have to hide the unused paper in my pocket to use next time. Or does motion on the seat automatically seal the toilet paper unless money is paid (just as opening the stall door makes the toilet flush, a trick I'll never understand).

Yes do keep us posted!

[Gannettoid]

Thanks guys for continuing to share breaking news that your colleagues need to know!

[disgruntledreader]

I have it from a totally unreliable source, that the next thing to go is the water coolers.

Totally unreliable huh? Good source!

[disgruntledreader]

People have lost jobs and you're bellyaching about free coffee. Personally, I don't want anything for free. I would have rather kept my job than be told, you were let go but we're keeping perks like free coffee.

[Guest]

People have lost jobs and you're bellyaching about free coffee. Personally, I don't want anything for free. I would have rather kept my job than be told, you were let go but we're keeping perks like free coffee.

I was making a joke during a very somber time, and I, too, would have liked to kept my job. Who will suffer most? The readers, the community, the people who depend upon us to tell their stories.

[Guest]

Mr. disgruntledreader!

Lighten up! This is obviously a joke, a real good one if I may say so.
We need a little like this once in a while to get through the day!

I shared this with my boss, and he thought it was funny too!
Made my day... Thank you Nightstalker!

[Guest]

Ha! We haven't had post-it notes in, like, 3 years, our chairs are all deathtraps, and I'm pretty sure our circa-1976 "coffee" dispensing machine is crawling with roaches. It makes horrible grinding sounds every so often. Not coffee-bean grinding noises, more like "I just threw a handful of ball-bearings into your Hemi while you were driving 120 MPH" noises. Buck up campers. We're all in this together.

- C.D.

[NotMe]

Update from Florida Today.

Oh no! The maintenance department has been painting the steps to the building and other fixtures outside. They haven't done that in years.

Must mean one of three things:
A). Some bigwig is coming to town.
or
B). They're selling or leasing out the building.
or
C). They got free paint for the county's recycled paint program. It is battleship grey, which is one of the colors you can get.

Maybe Nightstalker can find one of his/her unreliable sources shed some light on the improvements.

[a reporter]

Update from Florida Today.

Oh no! The maintenance department has been painting the steps to the building and other fixtures outside. They haven't done that in years.

Must mean one of three things:
A). Some bigwig is coming to town.
or
B). They're selling or leasing out the building.
or
C). They got free paint for the county's recycled paint program. It is battleship grey, which is one of the colors you can get.

Maybe Nightstalker can find one of his/her unreliable sources shed some light on the improvements.

We never got free coffee here in NY. They put some fancy coffee machine in the cafeteria, and if you were the 10th paying customer you got your money back AND that free cup of coffee. Oh well.

[Nightstalker2]

The unconfirmed rumors are running rampant. I have found no one to say that this is true, but there may be some major changes coming our way at Florida Today. Not only did the steps get a fresh coat of paint, but the gutters around the flower beds got vacuumed out today.
On top of that, the C150 commercial press is being sold, and perhaps the main press is next?

Yes, something big is in store for us.

Expect to be huddled closer together and half the building to be sealed of for renovation. Community room will be rented out as a banquet hall, a handful apartments will be made available in the renovated areas for lease, and all with view of the front lakes and US1. I have heard mumbling in regards to the Publishers area be designated a Penthouse Suite, and even though nobody asked about the truth in this, there have been no denials to the fact either.
The garage area, with the new pumps and tank, has been bought by 7-11 Corp., and the rack shop will be turned into an all night BYOB establishment, since acquiring a liquor license proved to costly.
Part parking area will be designated an overflow lot for the bar across the street, and production employee's will be shuttling bar patrons to and from in the under utilized company vans. I am sure it will be work for tips and they must pay a nightly fee for use of company vehicles, including the gas they use.
Don't believe a word I wrote here, but look up the facts and make your own conclusions!

[newsie]

The unconfirmed rumors are running rampant. I have found no one to say that this is true, but there may be some major changes coming our way at Florida Today. Not only did the steps get a fresh coat of paint, but the gutters around the flower beds got vacuumed out today.
On top of that, the C150 commercial press is being sold, and perhaps the main press is next?

Yes, something big is in store for us.

Expect to be huddled closer together and half the building to be sealed of for renovation. Community room will be rented out as a banquet hall, a handful apartments will be made available in the renovated areas for lease, and all with view of the front lakes and US1. I have heard mumbling in regards to the Publishers area be designated a Penthouse Suite, and even though nobody asked about the truth in this, there have been no denials to the fact either.
The garage area, with the new pumps and tank, has been bought by 7-11 Corp., and the rack shop will be turned into an all night BYOB establishment, since acquiring a liquor license proved to costly.
Part parking area will be designated an overflow lot for the bar across the street, and production employee's will be shuttling bar patrons to and from in the under utilized company vans. I am sure it will be work for tips and they must pay a nightly fee for use of company vehicles, including the gas they use.
Don't believe a word I wrote here, but look up the facts and make your own conclusions!

LOL! Thanks for the comic relief!

[XFLAT]

Indeed FLAT employees have been very spoiled in the past, but why not! After all, this is the birthplace of USAT. And for quite a long time, THE regional office in the now defunct south east area. But just to clarify on FALSE statements made in the original posting:
1) "I think that several years ago I was told, that the companies who rent space (keyword is rent) here to sell lunches and beverages to the employees also pay a percentage of their sales to FLORIDA TODAY."
I happily left FLAT a few years ago, but as an insider during that time I know for a fact that the company running the "cafe" did NOT pay rent, nor did they pay a percentage of their revenues to FLAT. Interestingly enough, they didn't pay for utilities either so other than their own overhead they were banking a nice little profit margin because their prices were ridiculously high but the food tasted like $@#. Not to mention the Dept of Health inspection violations, eeeuuuwww.

2) "The amount of electricity they use during the half day they are here can't even run the press for 2 minutes."
You obviously have NO IDEA how much electricity and therefore related costs are associated with running a press.

But I have to agree with the other posts that you're a big cry baby.

[ex]

Had to laugh at this one.
I actually worked a place where the business officer manager devoted an entire staff meeting to toilet paper use. Seems she had been monitoring us (counting squares) as we exited the john. No shit. Anyway, I quit shortly after she gave a demonstration and instructed us that we to use one square for our #1s and two squares for our #2s. I brought in my own roll, but someone took it. Guess that was against SOP.

Anyway went to work for Gannett after that, and although things on the tp front were better, overall working conditions were much worse.