freezes

As companies try to survive the rough economy, they are cutting costs. The person in charge of deciding where and how deep to cut, is often the chief financial officer. CFO Magazine recently interviewed more than 300 CFOs, and nearly half said they plan to layoff workers.

Kate O'Sullivan, a writer with the magazine, tells Steve Inskeep that companies are also looking at hiring freezes and reductions in overtime.

The City of Austin’s proposed $2.8 billion budget for the 2009 fiscal year includes cutbacks, hiring freezes and price increases.

As surely as baseball heralds the spring, poor economic reports presage layoff season. According to Mercer Consulting, one in three midsize to large U.S. companies is pondering job freezes or downsizing.

Besides the obvious no-no's - completing projects late, griping noisily about the boss - here are seven strategies for deflecting a pink slip.