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Hertz cites economy in metro layoffs(Daily Oklahoman, The (KRT) Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar. 1--Employees at Hertz Global Holdings Inc.'s Oklahoma City operations have been living under a cloud of uncertainty since last year when the car rental company announced it was laying off 1,350 people worldwide. This week that uncertainty grew stronger as Hertz laid off an undisclosed number of metro area workers, a move a company spokesman said is in response to a weak economy. "There were some reductions this week in Oklahoma City," Hertz spokesman Rich Broome said. "It's part of a modest number of reductions due to the economy. "Economic slow-down also has slowed down our business," Broome said. He would not say how many employees were released. Oklahoma City Hertz employees are becoming too familiar with the layoff process. The company cut more than 100 jobs in January 2007 and followed those cuts with another round the following March. At the beginning of the cuts last year, Hertz employed about 3,100 in Oklahoma City. An employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said the last year has been hard on workers as they wait to find out who's next. "It's just been a long year for people," the employee said. "This (job cuts) is happening too much in business these days. This is people's lives." Employees are not given notification they are being laid off until the day they are asked to leave, Broome said. Hertz is not the only rental car company that's had to cut employment because of a slowing economy. "We've had to make some cuts, but nothing recently," said Fred Fleischner, executive director of corporate communications for Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group. The Tulsa-based company eliminated 25 percent of its management positions as well as 200 call center employees last year. Dollar Thrifty estimated the cuts would save the company $7 million. Fleischner said much of the car rental industry is dependent on air travel, and when a weak economy keeps people from flying it affects his business as well. "Air travel is a very good barometer," Fleischner said. But at least one Hertz employee doubts economic issues are to blame for company's cutbacks. "This has been coming long before people were talking about a recession," the employee said. The employee said Hertz's decision to outsource some technology jobs to IBM is the reason Oklahomans are losing their jobs. But Broome said the car rental company's relationship with IBM has nothing to do with the recent cuts in Oklahoma City. "We have a long-standing relationship with IBM and we recently expanded their work in Oklahoma City, which will cause some reductions," Broome said. "But it's unrelated." To see more of The Oklahoman, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.newsok.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Oklahoman Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |