Year after year, The McClatchy Company subsidizes its business by refusing to adequately reimburse Idaho Statesman employees for the essentials needed to do their job. It’s time to change that. Support us by sending a message to management here.
A cell phone is needed in 2022. Our journalists constantly talk to sources. Send emails. Check Twitter. Burn through data. Take photos and videos.
Nearly all of that work is done on our personal phones. That’s only increased as we work from home after the sale of the Statesman’s office.
The company shared its interest in providing employees with optional cell phones six months ago. We’re waiting on a counterproposal, but in the meantime have been stuck using our personal cell phones at a whopping $25 a month reimbursement.
That’s a fraction of the average cell phone bill, and a number McClatchy has repeatedly cut. Employees using their personal cell phone must cover the rest of the cost for a tool necessary to their job.
Additionally, we spend our days driving to assignments across the Treasure Valley. McClatchy reimburses us at just 33 cents per mile. That’s only slightly more than half the IRS standard rate for mileage of 58.5 cents per mile, once again shifting company expenses onto employees.
McClatchy also requires we provide and maintain a car for company use, and that we pay the full cost of insurance. This costs hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars each year. Meanwhile, some McClatchy employees elsewhere in the country get half their insurance paid for.
Many of us moved long distances to work here. Moving costs can easily be thousands of dollars, a recruiting expense McClatchy burdens employees with. The company leaves it to employees to “negotiate” for reimbursement, a process we’ve watched play out unfairly many times.
The bottom line: We must pay to do our own jobs. Instead of supporting us, McClatchy shovels more and more of its expenses onto our wallets. We want a fair deal when it comes to items integral to our jobs.
Idaho NewsGuild 