In case you haven’t heard of the General Release and Agreement, we’re here to give you some insight.

Here’s the deal: Let’s say you get laid off and an employer gives you documentation for your signature in exchange for severance. Essentially, the document indicates you’ll waive your rights to sue the company and that you won’t say anything negative about it. Read more

Sorry to end the week with grim news but we heard production workers at the San Jose Mercury News are going to lose their San Jose-based jobs starting on Monday.

According to The Business Journal, layoff letters were issued to 118 employees. As for the good news? An undetermined number of those employees will be offered jobs at other locations affiliated with the paper.

The employees impacted by the reduction in force (a.k.a. “RIF”) include press operators and production staffers. It sounds like timing is everything. After all, the layoffs are occurring merely two weeks after the newspaper announced its intentions to market its 30-acres.

Publisher Mac Tully explained, “This plant sits on very valuable real estate that we want to realize the value of.”

Walt Disney Studios laid off 150 workers yesterday; a few senior executives received some of the pink slips.

Apparently the cuts didn’t impact eliminating entire departments. In addition, the lay offs won’t have implications of restructuring the studio.

As per Variety, employees working in home entertainment, production, distribution and marketing, and Disney’s theater and music business in New York City were hit the hardest.

Disney employees approximately 166,000 employees across the globe. The reduction in force represents less than five percent of the studio’s workforce across Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Disney Theatrical Productions and music divisions.

The Boston Phoenix announces it’s folding and this means 50 people will be out of their jobs.

Apparently it cost more than $1 million each year to keep the publication in business. The alt-weekly was founded in 1966 and is closing immediately. As in now.

Publisher Stephen Minich released a memo that was posted on JimRomenesko. Here’s an excerpt:

“I can state with certainty that this is the single most difficult communication I’ve ever had to deliver and there’s no other way to state it than straightforwardly –

As of now the Boston Phoenix has ceased publishing and wfnx.com will not continue as it is….

I cannot find the words to express how sad a moment this is for me, and I know, for you as well, so I won’t try….

And obviously as well, my sincere gratitude to our millions of readers and tens of thousands of advertisers without whom none of what we did accomplish could have been possible or meaningful.

So, that’s it. We have had an extraordinary run.”

According to The Star-Ledger, almost 10 percent of its newsroom will get the pink slip in the first layoff in its history.

Here’s the breakdown: 18 part-time and full-time staffers will be laid off today. This is in addition to 16 other employees in other areas of the company for a total of 19 full-timers and 15 part-timers. Read more

Ever wonder where the worst place is to be let go from your job? Wonder no more. The U.S. took the top spot and Switzerland followed in second place.

Unfortunately, on the heels of the monthly jobs report there will be more job seekers pounding the pavement and they include employees of Martha Stewart Omnimedia.

Late yesterday The New York Times announced the company is going to layoff about 70 employees and will cut back two of its four publications. This equates to almost 12 percent of the total number of its employees.

For instance, Everyday Food will scale back its magazine and publish five issues each year instead of 10. Plus, it won’t be sold as a publication by itself and instead, subscribers to Martha Stewart Living will receive it as a supplement.

In addition, Whole Living Magazine, is looking for a buyer. According to the newspaper, execs are in talks to sell the publication, they already plan to stop printing it by the end of this calendar year if it hasn’t been sold.

As a result of the cutbacks, Martha Stewart’s business will now rely on its two flagship publications, Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings.

Technically, when looking at the company’s history the lay offs and reductions in publishing shouldn’t be a total shock. Income has steadily decreased across its publishing, merchandising and broadcasting arms.

Plus, the company slashed $12.5 million in broadcasting costs when it cut daily programming with the Hallmark Channel. The Martha Stewart Show ended its live audience on that channel and soon announced a new weekly show, Martha Stewart’s Cooking School, was going to air on public television.

Sadly though we’ve had to report more than enough layoffs recently; hopefully next week and in the weeks to close out the year there will be an uptick in media companies expanding in the digital and broadcasting space.

We despise writing about layoffs on a Friday afternoon, really we do but it must be done.

According to The New York Post, Simon & Schuster compressed its imprints this week into four main groups. As for the result? They laid off less than 10 people. Read more

The week is almost at its close but unfortunately, we don’t go unscathed with head count.

In other words, The Las Vegas Review-Journal is the latest publication to anounce layoffs.

According to JimRomenesko, the announcement was made on Tuesday. Five editors and one art director are among the casualties. They are going to hire one person to manage news/business and will apparently hire another person to oversee features/sports. As per the site, impacted editors have been encouraged to apply for the openings.

We promise tomorrow’s news won’t focus so much on layoffs but as for today, not so much.

The New York Post reports BuzzMedia has laid off 11 people. Editor-in-chief Steve Kandell and managing editor Catherine Davis were among the 11 employees. In addition, the November/December issue has been canned.

According to a statement, new owners (they took over Spin magazine three weeks ago) indicted they’ll double their staff during the next 12 months.

Plus, their spokeswoman added, “BuzzMedia is still determining exactly how print fits in with Spin’s multiple distribution points and growth initiatives.”