15% pay cut, no warning.

[The Lurker]

I had a nasty surprise at work this morning, so I hope you won't mind a bit of a rant.

I work in the environmental engineering field, for a small (4 person) company. It's a sole proprietorship, so the employees really haven't any say in the business end of things. Things in the industry have been pretty slow overall this year, though my 'department' (which is to say, me) has been pretty steadily busy since late March, not going balls-out like it was early last year but I'm definitely more than earning my keep. We've also just landed a couple of six-figure projects that will carry through until the end of the year.

Two weeks ago, the boss signed the company up for the Massachusetts Work-Share program. The general idea of the program is that it's supposed to be an incentive not to lay workers off. The company reduces hours (e.g. to a four-day week) and lays everyone off one day a week (for a 20% reduction in payroll outlay) rather than laying off 1/5 of the workforce altogether for the same result. The state then chips in half a day's unemployment benefit to make up the hardship to the employee.

The boss presented this thing to us as "an emergency measure which we probably won't need to use," since you can sign up for the thing but don't have to start cutting hours until you decide to. Since he presented it that way, and since I was up to my eyeballs in billable hours and deadlines, I filled out the form he gave me without giving it that much thought. I probably made a severe mistake in trusting the guy enough to sign anything he gave me without researching the thing first.

At 11:30 this morning, he interrupted me in the middle of a discussion about a metal-working factory and said "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you-- the workshare thing starts tomorrow, so from now on we're not working on Fridays." Bam. Huge pay cut with about 5 hours' notice.

Anyways, this evening I found out that the boss lied to us (in writing) when he told us that the state's contribution is half a day's *salary.* Since unemployment would be about half what I make now, it's actually a 15% cut, not a 10% cut, as we'd been led to expect. Our office manager is probably going to have to leave for whatever else she can get because she can't afford a 15% pay cut.

Yet more unfortunately, even though I'm technically laid off tomorrow, he still expects me to show up tomorrow to finish all the stuff that has to go out before I leave for the first real vacation I've had in almost two years. Hooray, I get to accrue comp time. I already have fifty hours of comp time accrued and no time in which to use it.

I think the most unfortunate thing about capitalism is that some people in positions of authority take the concept of a free market as a license to treat their employees like disposable crap and then blame the Holy and Undivided Trinity of "market forces," "the need to remain competitive," or "these tough economic times" as a cover for their own poor business management.

I'm leaving as soon as I can find another job.

[MJ5150]

Can't say I feel all that bad for you. Sure, it's a bummer, but it wasn't like he blindsided you with it.

Best wishes to you on finding a new position.

-Mike

[nortonrider]

I think that he should have kissed you first.

[ubado]

That sucks ... but it's better than not having a job. At least you'll have more than just unemployment going for you, as you look for another.

Good luck on the search for a new one.

[xgator4u]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

I think that he should have kissed you first.

And perhaps some K.Y.

[mike_v_s]

Originally Posted by The Lurker

I think the most unfortunate thing about capitalism is that some people in positions of authority take the concept of a free market as a license to treat their employees like disposable crap and then blame the Holy and Undivided Trinity of "market forces," "the need to remain competitive," or "these tough economic times" as a cover for their own poor business management.

I'm leaving as soon as I can find another job.

I've always thought the most unfortunate thing about capitalism was how easy it is to blame.

Mike

[oldrocker]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

I think that he should have kissed you first.

And he probably wouldn't give the courtesy of a reach around.

[hbarcat]

The reality of the "tough economic times" is that there simply isn't enough work to go around for all the people who want it. Blame capitalism if you want but there is no magic alternative that will make jobs appear out of thin air or make your paycheck miraculously have more buying power.

I'm in the exact same boat as you are in as I've been cut back to 4 days a week for the last five months and I'm working a menial side job on Sundays to make up for it. I could blame the heartlessness of capitalism for the current recession that has me selling bass gear to pay my rent, but to me that's like getting mad at the sky for being so unfair as to bring nice weather when I'm working and rain on my days off.

I feel your pain, hang in there and you can make it through these tough times. Good luck.

[::::BASSIST::::]

He said "From now on we're not working Fridays."

I wouldn't show up. You dont pay me, I dont work... simple as that.

Personally, I think this form of Capitalism is based on greed and sucks pretty bad.

[Hawaii Islander]

Originally Posted by ::::BASSIST::::

He said "From now on we're not working Fridays."

I wouldn't show up. You dont pay me, I dont work... simple as that.
Personally, I think this form of Capitalism is based on greed and sucks pretty bad.

Works for me.

They won't pay you if you don't work. Right?

You shouldn't work if they don't pay you.

Keeps things symmetrical that way!

[Phalex]

I went through something similar last year. I'm not complaining, I still get paid something, and I get to keep my insurance.

[jojobean39]

The engineering field has taken a pretty hard hit. I work at an engineerig firm with both civil and electrical (I'm electrical). I have seen a lot of companies really having to cut back. My city has not been hit as hard as some of the larger ones. In Orlando, most civil firms have had to lay off 60% of their workforce, according to some numbers at a conference last month. Tough times.

Good luck on the new job search. That's the beauty of capitalism... your skills can afford you the new opportunity to do what you do best.

[Absentia]

Originally Posted by ::::BASSIST::::

He said "From now on we're not working Fridays."

I wouldn't show up. You dont pay me, I dont work... simple as that.

Personally, I think this form of Capitalism is based on greed and sucks pretty bad.

this goes back to the "disposable crap" comment.
Are you going to do more than expected of you or sit by, bitch and moan and watch as they replace you?
Job security is a myth and jobs are hard to come by.
I've had to work 60+hours a week keeping this ship running for the past 3 years with no vacations and last august they put a ban on overtime pay.
DO I want to stay up till 3am doing backups, updates, and planning with no pay a few days a week, no but I have to, to keep my job.

[XtreO]

More time off work and still get paid for it? Seems like the kind of work I'd enjoy ^_^

[Dirk Diggler]

And sorry to hear of your issues The Lurker, in the meantime you do have a job and that's the best time to look for another job. And personally I would tell them to stick in on Friday. See the reasons below.

Don't you see Absentia that you are playing into their game?
Fear is the #1 tool for keeping the workers oppressed.
They have you working more hours for free and no vacations?
Who do you suppose benefits from all this free work?
Do your bosses take vacations? I bet they do.
Do they work all those hours without compensation?
I doubt it, when people put up with these type of situations the problem continues and the class system rewards the higher ups at the expense of the people doing the actual work.

Dirk

[Unrepresented]

Absolutely let the guy hang.

Why provide him with 100% quality, on time work if he's cutting your hours/pay to 85%?

Don't work for free. Send the appropriate message.

[inbrednedd]

I agree that this is a cold shock to absorb. However, I just want to step up to the bat and defend capitalism.

Firstly, I'd like to point out that a stronger demand for your labor would place you in a position of strength when bargaining with your boss. You should leave if you feel undervalued. However, I think you might find that your wage is now approaching the real value of your work. Please, exercise your capitalistic freedom and find a better job. Capitalism is what gives you the freedom to go to the highest bidder for the services and goods you provide.

Secondly, you will be treated less like disposable crap when your company has a competitor that requires your services at the same price as they do. You complain that your boss is using the market as a license to treat you like disposable crap-I would entertain the possibility that you are more disposable than you would like to think. If the company is in trouble, the company has two options-employ less people for the same pay, or employ the same amount of people for less pay. They have taken option b., and their choice is likely motivated by that well-meaning but harmful government subsidy. The subsidy money comes from taxation. The subsidy serves as a penalty for all those companies not availing themselves of it, as it provides your firm with a competitive advantage-the irony is that these are the very companies that could be vying for your employment and skills. If the company is not in trouble, I would entertain the possibility that they are trying to take advantage of that government program at your expense.

Ultimately, it is a good thing that a company that is poorly managed will go under. It means that the resources they consume can be absorbed back into the economy more productively. You can accelerate this by moving to greener pastures. If you are indisposable, your move will contribute to their eventual bankruptcy. Capitalism isn't the cause of this problem; it is the solution. Greater competition for your services will be the only way to drive your wages and quality of life higher.

[Absentia]

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

And sorry to hear of your issues The Lurker, in the meantime you do have a job and that's the best time to look for another job. And personally I would tell them to stick in on Friday. See the reasons below.

Don't you see Absentia that you are playing into their game?
Fear is the #1 tool for keeping the workers oppressed.
They have you working more hours for free and no vacations?
Who do you suppose benefits from all this free work?
Do your bosses take vacations? I bet they do.
Do they work all those hours without compensation?
I doubt it, when people put up with these type of situations the problem continues and the class system rewards the higher ups at the expense of the people doing the actual work.

Dirk

I know, I'm not ignorant to my situation and the business game. I have bills to pay and for that I need a job.
There are alot of IT people looking for work and alot of consulting firms that would like to come in aswell.
I'll I can do is look, find another job and then take my system with me.

[HailCorduroy]

Originally Posted by jojobean39

The engineering field has taken a pretty hard hit. I work at an engineerig firm with both civil and electrical (I'm electrical). I have seen a lot of companies really having to cut back. My city has not been hit as hard as some of the larger ones. In Orlando, most civil firms have had to lay off 60% of their workforce, according to some numbers at a conference last month. Tough times.

My company (although it is MEP) was one of those. Our Florida offices have almost nothing going on right now. Our other offices are working, but definitely not like they were a couple of years ago.

[The Lurker]

I'd like to clarify something here. I'm not blaming capitalism. My BOSS is blaming the economy, and I'm blaming HIM. The company isn't hurting nearly bad enough to justify a cutback on hours. Even if *no* new work comes in at all for me, I'd be booked up solidly for 40 hour weeks through the rest of the year. I'm frigging lucky in that respect.

More to the point, the insulting bit that really burned me up was that he BS'd us by telling us this was an emergency measure that we probably wouldn't need (his exact words), and then two weeks later dropped it on us, effective immediately. For something as drastic as a 15% pay cut, any employer should have the decency to give people a couple of weeks' notice. Lots of people have budgets they watch, mortgages and car payments, or live paycheck-to-paycheck.

As far as unpaid overtime-- no. I just refuse to do it. This is not Animal Farm, and I am not Boxer the horse. Your motivations are yours, mine are mine, but if you expect me to work without pay, then you can expect me either to leave or to sue you for what you owe me. Employees have a legal right to compensation. If you can't afford to pay me, lay me off.

@ the other engineers.... yeah, I know the civil end of things is pretty slow these days. We used to do a bit of that, but right now we're doing mostly assessment and remediation work, and gas stations keep on leaking.

Incidentally, the boss just bought a new speedboat.