R.R. Donnelly has disciplined 100 people at its Mattoon, IL, facility for misusing company e-mail. The measures included firings, suspensions and warnings because the employees exchanged sexually explicit photographs and videos.
Line employees and supervisors were all affected.
The Mattoon plant is one of the company's largest, employing 1,800 people. While the plant does not print direct mail pieces, it does print major magazines. The plant expects to begin printing Meredith Corp.'s Better Homes & Gardens magazine this summer.
“Customer service will not be affected,” said Donnelley spokeswoman Vera C. Panchak.
While insiders speculated that layoffs might have had to do with the fact that the plant is losing G&J USA's Rosie and Family Circle magazines this June, Panchak said the layoffs stemmed purely from the misuse of e-mails. She said there have been problems like this before at other R.R. Donnelley plants, and that the same actions were taken.
Panchak also said that Donnelley employees receive a warning every time they start up their computers that say they can only use e-mail for company business. She also said the company handbook notes that company e-mail is not for personal use, and can result in firing.
“We take theses things very seriously, and that's why we acted so quickly,” said Panchak. “We also communicated this issue company-wide, to remind people of our policy.”
