| BUSINESSWEEK ONLINE : MARCH 1, 1999 ISSUE | ||||||||
| ||||||||
 | ||||||||
| INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
How Bernard Ebbers Is Tightening MCI's Belt DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER WorldCom removed all the water coolers from MCI's Washington headquarters. It's a symbol of the new penny-pinching attitude. Now staffers drink tap water or buy their own bottles. ARE TOWELS EXTRA? MCI executives who visit WorldCom's Jackson (Miss.) headquarters tend to bunk at the $59-a-night Hampton Inn--owned by Ebbers. In the past, MCI executives stayed at places like the Ritz-Carlton, where rooms run $200 or so. GOODBYE CORPORATE JETS. HELLO COACH Top execs are encouraged to fly with low-cost carriers like Southwest Airlines. To get even cheaper rates and direct flights to Mississippi, they're driving 30 miles to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. On Southwest, that can mean a round-trip fare to Jackson of $186, instead of $2,872 for a first-class seat on Delta. Meanwhile, WorldCom has sold off three of MCI's corporate jets. HAIL, GOOD FELLOW Ebbers has eliminated the use of cushy corporate cars for everyone but Chairman Bert Roberts Jr. and himself. Now execs hail cabs or rent cars. SORRY, I CAN'T AFFORD FRIES WITH THAT Execs are keeping receipts for any business lunches over $5. In the past, they didn't need any paperwork for their expense reports unless bills topped $25. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ BACK TO TOP |
|  |
 | |
Return to main story
INTERACT E-Mail to Business Week Online | |||
