Our Canadian source on all things legal publishing has let us know about the Christmas cheer that Carswell are currently spreading….
We learn from the source that Carswell, the Canadian unit of Thomson Reuters has quietly dropped 75 staff from across most departments, with no official announcement of any kind.
Nothing new there..standard modus operandi these days.
Our source? who as you’ll see below has a long history in the world of Canadian legal publishing, remembers the last time Carswell dropped staff..writing:
A dozen or so years ago, Carswell publicly announced a major reorganization and downsizing of over 11% of its staff that was going to achieve major cost efficiencies while improving customer service. Customer feedback was negative and staff morale tanked. It took two or three years to recover.
This time, the same CEO appears to be trying a different approach – low key, say nothing, act as if nothing as happening. Maybe no one will notice. Needless to say, the remaining staff is freaked out.
The source also adds ..
Ironically, Carswell was just recently recognized by the Globe and Mail as one of the Top 100 Employers in Canada for 2010. Their website includes the following announcement:
“Toronto, ON. -?
Carswell was named today among the Top 100 Employers in Canada for 2010 in Macleans, one of Canada?s leading bi-weekly news magazines, and will be honoured tomorrow for the same list in the Globe and Mail, one of Canada?s most respected national newspapers. Full details of this designation can be found in the October 8 issue of Macleans, which is available on newsstands today, and detailed Reasons for Selection can be found on www.Eluta.ca.? This is the second year that Carswell has been named one of Canada?s Top 100 Employers.
?Carswell has now been recognized as a great place to work for six years in a row by various studies, which is no small accomplishment,? explains Don Van Meer, President and CEO of Carswell. ?While we don?t expect to make these lists every year, the fact that we do shows what a unique place we work in, and how deeply our values are ingrained at Carswell. Being an award-winning workplace is about what our employees do day in and day out and I?m proud to be a part of such an outstanding organization.?
The list of Top 100 Employers in Canada is by Mediacorp Canada Inc. Organizations are selected to appear on this list based on eight criteria: Physical Workplace; Work Atmosphere and Social; Health, Financial & Family Benefits; Vacation and Time Off; Employee Communications; Performance Management; Training and Skills Development; and Community Involvement. Mediacorp performs independent research, which is coupled with a formal employer submission and employee engagement survey results.”
Like Carswell, the Globe and Mail is also owned by the Thomson family. Merry Christmas, Thomson style
