Sacrificing dollars to save jobs

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GOLDEN - Like most companies, Vision Land Consultants has felt the impact of the recession.

"We are a civil engineer and construction management firm," said Teresa Williams, company owner.

When funding for construction projects dried up, many of their clients were forced to put their business plans on hold.

"The last six months, it has gotten harder," Williams said.

When business slowed, Vision Land Consultants which has 34 employees, was forced to make a difficult decision.

"We all sat down and tried to figure out what can we do to try to get through this," said Williams.

Employees like Ken Ross, a project manager knew when the economy and work load slowed down that it could bring with it bad news.

"The fear is that if there is no design work...Vision Land Consultants doesn't need me," Ross said. "That dread is that you're going to be one of the casualties."

He and the other employees at Vision Land Consultants had seen news of layoffs at other companies. They all feared the complete loss of a paycheck and the inability to provide for their families.

Management came up with another idea. Rather than send anyone out the door, they ask everyone, staff and management to take a 20 percent pay cut. Staff members would work four days a week instead of five until the economy improved.

"The people, they understood," said Don Cabrera, director of construction management. "They might not have liked it, but what was the alternative?"

He says that everyone will simply adjust their budgets at home.

"For some of us it is going to be tight, but we're going to be fine. We've got jobs," he said.

In an office where everyone knows everyone else, taking a small hit so that none of their coworkers were laid off was an easy decision.

"It was really kind of an easy pill to swallow because what we're trying to do is not only survive, but be on the cusp where we can be ahead and take advantage of the situation when the economy turns around," said Ross.

The company believes it will be in a stronger position when the economy improves because they will not have to recruit and train employees to take the place of those that were laid off. They will immediately be in a position to serve their clients with skilled and loyal employees.

Williams says there is another very good reason to do what they can to get everyone through this recession together.

"I mean it is kind of like a family. You get close to people and you don't want to see anyone go," Williams said.