My husbands employer went through a rough year a couple years back so they cut out the extras to keep things from going under and this has been a record earning year for us. If other companies had taken this approach they would not be going under. Look at AIG and their stupid spending habits. They don't have the money to run their daily operations and they are having weekend excursions. Maybe they should have had a conference call over the internet instead.  I am so sick of these companies that don't know how to balance their own budget and we have to bail them out. That is not what I pay taxes for. If we let these companies fail then smaller companies will pick up their demands. Supply and demand it is very simple. If they can't get that they need not be a company.  We bails us out when we make stupid financial decisions? No one we have to fix the problem ourselves.  The sky is not going to fall if these companies fail. People need to quit freaking out. Companies fail everyday and new ones sprout up. It is not our fault they don't understand the demands of the public and they spend to much money. Shouldn't we be able to vote if we want to bail them out? It is our money not the congress. If you belong to a condo and pay fees for the up keep of that said condo.  Would you like it if the head of the condo board said lets pay for a new roof of the condo down the street because they spent all their money on a block party and thier roof is leaking.  That is what we are doing with the bail out. Paying for someone elses greed and stupidity. Then we also gave money to ACORN in that bail out. Is anyone else outraged by this or do I stand alone?

Sounds like the Unions are at work here. Unions and work go together like oil and water.

How refreshing!!  Companies taking smart business actions instead of just continuing to spend and expecting a govt. bail out.

As for the writers comment about making Christmas ornaments out of old TP rolls - what a silly comment.  No wonder the media is held is such low regard.

A lot of Americans never use their vacation days, anyway. I think this is a smart move on the tech companies' part--not only do they save on costs when people aren't coming to work (or are coming to work but not doing any--a lot of employees sitting at their terminals shopping for presents on Amazon isn't terribly productive), but workers will come back after what felt like those long winter breaks back in school and actually get things done instead of griping about the hangover they didn't get to have.

Someone please force me to take three days off with pay without someone being sick or dying! What are these people complaining about? Three days without pay I could understand the complaints but this is crazy and just goes to prove you can't make anyone happy these days.

I work for a tech company also.  While we are not being forced to take days without pay, we are being forced to consume all accrued vacation on the books before the end of the year.  Company paid holiday parties are gone, and all spending is being watched like a hawk.  I think it is all GREAT.  I am thankful to have a job; I know there are so many people that do not have jobs right now.  I am thankful that my company is looking for cuts in other ways before they make wide sweeping cuts in people.  I think people in general need to be brought "back to earth" regarding needs and wants.  Simple pleasures people...we don't all need toys to live.  

Bravo Chris - you are spot on!

Biff, it has been quite a while since I witnessed a blog so idiotic.  Unions had nothing to do with this subject.  It is about Corporate America being responsible for their business diecisions.  You must be Replubican and living under a rock!

Biff is a moron.  i work at one of these said companies, and the extend vaca, even though we have to use Paid Vacation - is being looked upon favorably.  When do you get 2 weeks off from a corporate job?  

Dell employees are getting the short end of the stick - but at least they're not being fired, which is probably Michael Dell's rational for requested employees to take 5 unpaid days.  Those types of sacrifices don't ruffle too many feathers if upper management is sacrificing pay/benefits in a similar manner to all the underlings...

It is about time for some of the corporate America to awake up and realize how extravagant they have been with their lavish parties, corporate aircradft up and down as a symbol of power, expensive dinners with customers and incredible salaries for their higher management.

Fortunately, I do work for a large corporation where our CEO is very aware that extravagance brings nothing to the business but cost to the bottom line. He reminde us by his own actions that we need to be as efficient, cost conscious and above all extremely attentive to our customers. He inspires us all with his vision and life actions.  

Like many corporations out there, we all are under the gun more than ever to perform to our potential, always ethically and to perform wisely, economically and efficiently...something that our most famous financial institutions realized a little too late. Wake up corporate America, have a stout breakfast instead and work hard all day...the party is over.