- Fri Dec 13, 2013 1:57 pm
#33759
Martha Stewart gave the phrase “home for the holidays” a whole new twist Thursday when the well-compensated chairwoman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia axed about 100 employees.
The layoffs, coming only a week an a half before Christmas, unnerved employees, many of whom left in tears, carrying their belongings in Martha Stewart bags. Stewart spent last week in Miami at Art Basel, the winter playground of the beautiful people, where dozens of private jets landed to party and peruse the international art market.
The cutbacks are estimated to save the company about $10 million next year.
Last year, according to corporate filings, Stewart received total compensation of $5.5 million — including a $2 million base salary. Among the perks that were reimbursed to Martha by the company in 2012: $393,000 for a portion of her personal assistant costs; $128,000 for a weekend driver also used during the week for non-business needs; $168,000 related to personal fitness, wellness, beauty and wardrobe; $88,000 as talent on TV shows and $640,000 for security, according to SEC documents.
The cuts unveiled Thursday represent about 20 percent of the overall workforce that was believed to be around 500 people. Security guards escorted many of the axed employees out of the building immediately. Her spokesperson explained that with increased benefit costs in 2014 the company had to make the reductions, she decline to elaborate on which benefits resulted in the increased costs.
