Jason (assistant box office manager) and Kelley (box office manager)'s positions were eliminated as salaried positions. They were offered hourly positions which they chose not to take. I am taking over the box office operations and have had many conversations with both companies to ensure I am dealing with their needs and learning everything I need to know to make sure their service doesn't suffer.
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Wednesday, June 17, 2009
A point of clarification about recent staff downsizing at The Skylight
I posted info that in addition to the elimination of the several positions at The Skylight, making mention of a key box office position. I was a little off base on my info. Here are some clarifying remarks from Kristin Godfrey, Skylight's Marketing Director:
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2 smart alecky remarks:
I would like to throw my two cents in here, if I may. First, let me say that I am not naive enough to have thought that the box office assistant manager position in a financially struggling theater company would be safe. In fact, I almost expected this to happen. What I did not expect was the elimination of the box office manager, and especially not the artistic director. Ms. Godfrey is correct in saying Kelley and I were offered hourly positions, and that we did not accept them. Allow me to explain why: the positions were as "box office supervisors". We would have had no health benefits that we had before and would not be guaranteed 40 hours a week. I don't think it is a far cry to say that we would have not been offered many hours at all, since they wouldn't want to pay us when they could pay other part-timers who would have made less per hour. But what really got to me the most was that if we would have accepted the positions, we would have been expected and more than likely HAD to have done the exact same jobs we were doing for the last three years. No one in that building knows the ticketing system like Kelley or I do, and guess what- its a pain in the ass to learn it. I almost feel sorry for Ms. Godfrey having to try and navigate what is a very non-intuitive, touchy, glitchy and unnecessarily complicated ticketing program. Almost. So maybe in the end, I chose my pride instead of a job. But I am not going to be a commodity to the Skylight, not any more than I already was apparently. I do realize that in these times, this type of thing is happening all over, and I am trying to be logical and understanding. But the fact still remains that I am hurt and angry that a place I cared and rallied and worked hard for would, after three years, make me feel like nothing more than a number. I'm sure all of us affected by this would agree. Thanks for your time.
jason, i think this is a very important point to make. i've heard several times that the box office positions weren't eliminated, they were offered hourly.
my suspicion all along was that the situation was exactly as you state, i.e. we're changing your jobs enough so that you quit, and we don't have to fire you. and thus...no unemployment insurance?
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