JC Penney's $41,817 executive commute
At least 9 of the retailer's top bosses live remotely and get a company plane to shuttle them to Texas HQ.
Beleaguered retailer J.C. Penney (JCP) has laid off thousands, seeking to cut costs as an ill-fated makeover plan has faltered. But the company is also spending sky-high amounts on ferrying top executives between their homes and its headquarters, according to Bloomberg.
At least nine of the company's top key executives live a plane ride away from Penney's Plano, Texas, headquarters, including Chief Executive Officer Ron Johnson (pictured) and Chief Creative Officer Michael Fisher.
The retailer pays for the commutes of all the executives, including a construction executive who lives in Boston and a design-and-trends employee who lives in New York, Bloomberg said. The company's head of human resources is also among those commuting from California.
Many of these executives formerly worked at Apple, from which Johnson was recruited.
The company has three jets registered to it, two Gulfstream G450s and one Gulfstream G-IV, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Operating a Gulfstream jet isn't cheap: A round-trip flight between Dallas and San Jose, Calif., adds up to a whopping $41,817, according to a quote from private-jet company Starbase Jet, as cited by Bloomberg.
Aside from the cost of paying for the executives' cross-country commutes, many of them also don't spend the entire week in Texas. The Penney execs who live in California, for example, fly out of Texas on Thursdays and work from their home state on Friday.
"To have them not be there on a regular basis I think sends a very, very bad message," Howard Gross, managing director of retail and fashion practice at executive search firm Boyden, told Bloomberg. Such telecommuting arrangements have come under debate recently, with Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer banning staff from working from home.
CEO Johnson's work arrangements have been detailed before, as written by my colleague Jonathan Berr. Johnson works four days a week at its Plano headquarters, then returns to California in his corporate jet. While in Texas, he stays at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel.
Meanwhile, shareholders of J.C. Penney continue to suffer. The stock has plunged 56% during the past 12 months through yesterday.
Because of the long-distance commuting, decision-making has slowed down and created friction between the new executives and long-term employees, Bloomberg notes. Some of the long-term employees have been called DOPEs, short for "dumb, old Penney employees," the story adds. A company spokeswoman told Bloomberg she had never heard the term.
As for the commuting executives, the company said several are "in the process of setting up permanent residence here and are moving to the Dallas area."
The spokeswoman added: "With all the travel retail leaders do, it doesn’t always make sense to uproot and relocate their families, move them away from friends and family to a new city -- only to be gone traveling to visit vendors, stores or overseas."
"With all the travel retail leaders do, it doesn’t always make sense to uproot and relocate their families, move them away from friends and family to a new city -- only to be gone traveling to visit vendors, stores or overseas."
This statement is just complete nonsense. I have worked for several major corporations and consulted with many more, and this is exactly what is wrong with much of American business--the excessive sense of entitlement senior executives feel they are owed. I guarantee that the middle managers, who are the people who truly make the company run, aren't allowed to commute cross-country. Plus, if you are going to commute, why a private jet and nights in the Ritz-Carleton? That sets a bad tone for the company by saying that these people are royalty and don't have to suffer like the peasants who work for them.
Consequences, consequences; perceived reactions to our intended actions, image, image....
To me, Penney's image was always modest, perhaps even low-cost discounted and frugal.
I never would have twined necessary staff caliber with jet-set dynamics. Shows how very
biased some buying public is. Though flying coach may not appeal to all, when your product
is considered non-durable working-man consumer discretionary that's floundering, it's
best to fly like most and not as though you're a Neiman officer headed for a Dubai showroom.
In times of economic stress bordering upon economic depression, any sign of waste should
be targeted as unnecessary and eliminated. It's ok to get "the best'" if the costs are similar but
when they're not, prudence mandates one tailor manpower perks to product function. WILD
impractical perks for any organization should be cut. Since Penney's hasn't viewed itself in the mirror lately and streamlined its budget, I'd say the whole organization should be audited for waste and altered; nobless oblige has limits ....
WTF?!?! Exactly what's wrong with first-class? Geez. Does he fear for his safety or something? Heck, I don't think anyone know who he is! He's not a recognizable celebrity (they would pay for their own private jets anyways) and he's not the President of the United States (who has to travel in private for obvious security reasons).
Common sense really is not common anymore and humility doesn't exist.
James Penney founded his company under the rule to "treat others the way you'd like to be treated - Fair and Square". I can't imagine any of Mr. Johnson's store workers feeling like they're being treated "fair and square" when twice or more of their ANNUAL salary is being spent to shuttle him to work every week. In the meanwhile, most employees AND Americans in general can barely put gas in their cars to commute to work.
But then again...maybe Mr. Johnson HASN'T adopted James Penney founding rule.
God help us.
Ok, someone or multiple someones has/have taken a hard hit to the head. There is nothing logical about this at all. There is too much technology available. I keep looking for smarts/common sense/logic; I keep being disappointed. The consolation is that I feel better about myself every time I read such things.
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