Article: New job, same company ; By redeploying workers, employers can avoid morale-sapping staff cuts

Nancy Hobbs expected the worst when she was called to her manager's office in November. In this economy, such meetings often end with employees out of work.

"I had a pit in my stomach," said Hobbs, 54, of Cambridge. "I never prayed so hard in my life."

But instead of being let go, the daytime housekeeping supervisor at Boston's Liberty Hotel was offered a janitorial position on the overnight shift. It was a huge relief. Hobbs's husband lost his job as a cemetery groundskeeper more than a year ago. Without a job, she said, "I wouldn't be able to pay my bills."

The Liberty Hotel, like other businesses, is looking for ways to ride out the recession while minimizing the number of layoffs it must ...

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