Question - Fair to reduce pay of salary job if I work less hours

[The BMW Guy]

Hey guys,

My work has recently reduced my salary pay because I am not at work as much as I used to be. The work I do requires me to be at the workplace for a little bit, and the rest of the work can be done at home.

Basically, my friend helps me with the workload at work and then I get to go home early and do the computer tasks at home. So we are at work for maybe 2 hours.

My work quality/output has not gone down, if anything it has improved.

Is it fair that they are cutting my pay in half?
I thought a salary job only cared about the work quality/output rather than the amount of hours one puts in?

Just want some insight as to what I should do, and hopefully clear up why it is fair to cut my pay.

Thanks in advance.

[dirtsniffer]

if you're doing the same job i don't see how they can reduce the pay. i'd quit for realzy

[GQBalla]

werd ^^^^^^

[ExtraSlow]

Sounds like it's not right. Have a sit-down with your boss and outline your concerns.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by The BMW Guy


My work quality/output has not gone down, if anything it has improved.


This is reason alone to argue why your pay shouldn't be reduced. It's bullshit for them to even attempt it. You're still working, even it's at home, it's still work.

[03ozwhip]

back in the day i used to make 8% of everything that the company made in residential services which was anywhere between 200-400 a day which was baller money back in the early 2000s.

i got pulled in to the office saying im doing awesome work but he cant afford to only be making 92% of 3-5k a day...?? so he said, ill give you 11 an hour....

i told him to go fuck himself, he came back at 13 an hour...i quit on principle to go make 10 an hour somewhere else just because i didnt want to work with a company that devalued me so much.

moral of the story is, it definitely worked out to leave there even though i made less $$ because eventually i got to a place that doesnt devalue me and pays me really well.

[msommers]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Sounds like it's not right. Have a sit-down with your boss and outline your concerns.

Bingo.

[FraserB]

How is that even legal? If that was me I would be looking for another job.

[spikerS]

sounds kinda like you may be working yourself out of a job?

sucks either way.

[Masked Bandit]

This makes no sense at all. If the work output is the same or better the income should be the same or better.

I've heard of people on commission who have had their pay structure changed if they become "too successful". I don't know how that's even possible. If a sales person is selling way more stuff, why shouldn't they be paid way more. I would love for my staff to make triple what they are right now because that means I'm making triple. :dunno:

[l/l/rX]

Originally posted by spikers
sounds kinda like you may be working yourself out of a job?

sucks either way.

What he said. Being physically at work in the office even if you don't do as much, portrays a better image IMO. I would honestly hate to work with someone that only shows up for a few hours and then leaves. Also communication is not as great even if you are only a phone call away, face to face communication IMO is key to a work place environment.

They are probably trying to make you quit, seeing how you are an employee if they fired you they would have to pay you a severance package, so if you quit instead they won't have to pay that out.

I think you have poor work etiquette, the work I do can be done from home as well, but what does that say to my boss? That I don't like being at work? I don't like being around my co workers? I'm not a team player?

[FraserB]

Im not too sure on the Canadian requirements, but this seems like it could equate to a constructive dismissal.

I assume that you can prove all your work is getting done and to the satisfaction of your employer? I'd call a lawyer, the first 1/2 consult is usually free and they can probably solve this one in 5 minutes.

[BokCh0y]

Assuming that your position is something in which you can perform your work requirements offsite/at home, then no, that isn't fair. If you job requires you to be onsite at all times, and you're fucking off early and still expect the same pay, then yes it fair. But the latter is not how i see this.

This sounds like a case of constructive dismissal, and something that you should address with your work immediately.

Checkalook at this link for some information. The whole articale doesn't apply, but there is an explaination in the first portion explaing constructive dismissal.

http://www.albertajobcentre.ca/re/hr-resources/legal-ease/human-resource-advice/terms-of-employment--giving-notice-to-changes-to-employment-terms

EDIT Dang it, Fraser B beat me too it while i was typing and researching.

[kvg]

I could understand a cut in pay, but pay being cut in half:eek: I agree that they may want you to quit and constructive dismissal sounds like it fits the bill.

[Lex350]

Fair? What does that got to do with business? This type of thing happens all the time. Like others said, go to your boss and state your case but be prepared to walk if you don't like the answer.

[The BMW Guy]

I was about to quit.
Spoke to the boss, problem has been resolved. They will be adding back on my missing pay.
Don't think they want to get rid of me any time soon.


Originally posted by l/l/rX


What he said. Being physically at work in the office even if you don't do as much, portrays a better image IMO. I would honestly hate to work with someone that only shows up for a few hours and then leaves. Also communication is not as great even if you are only a phone call away, face to face communication IMO is key to a work place environment.

I think you have poor work etiquette, the work I do can be done from home as well, but what does that say to my boss? That I don't like being at work? I don't like being around my co workers? I'm not a team player?

Valid points, now I am wondering if the people at work hate me.

Curious, how come you would hate someone for showing up for a few hours, doing their work and then leaving after they are done? Also consider that this person is part-time and getting paid much less than yourself.

The type of work I do, I'm not sitting in an office with other people. I am usually around the building doing the tasks that only myself can do. Once I am done those tasks, I could sit in the general eating area (I don't have my own office/desk) on my laptop to do the computer tasks. But I'd much rather be home studying/eating dinner (since there are usually large wait times in between the computer tasks that I have to wait).

If I didn't have a laptop, I wouldn't be able to do the computer tasks at work at all.

I can see how it can affect my image not showing face though.
Just curious if the rest of you think I have poor etiquette?

[CanmoreOrLess]

Tim Ferriss addresses this very topic in his book "The 4-Hour Work Week". From my recall, you need an understanding manager who really does not care where you do your work as long as the results are there in the end. Ferriss did clear this "reduced" work week with his boss making certain the results were all that mattered. He communicated his history of always beating the company expectations in terms of sales numbers. This alone made Ferriss not easy to replace or fire.

It sounds like the OP has pissed off someone (coworker?) in the company and they are tired of having to stay at the workplace while the OP does not. As long as your boss knows the real story (assuming he does not already), this is all that counts. I would be strongly communicating the hours you are putting in at home and how this saves the company money by not having another body in the office place using resources.

[Stealth22]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
Sounds like it's not right. Have a sit-down with your boss and outline your concerns.
Originally posted by msommers
Bingo.
Glad to hear your situation got resolved, but I just wanted to add my 2 cents.

What those two guys said, 100%. This applies to just about anyone. If there's an issue, just go and talk to your boss about it, calmly and professionally.

At my yearly review, I was given a salary increase, but it was much lower than I had anticipated. I was pretty miffed, but I took 24 hours to think it over and cool off. By the next day, I still believed that I deserved much more, and I had a few reasons written down as to why.

I went straight to the boss, who was glad to listen to what I had to say. He said that he was open to discussing it, provided that I could provide justification as to why I thought it was worth more. He requested that I summarize it in an e-mail, which I did. He said it would be brought up with the management team. Two days later, I was pulled in and told that my frankness was appreciated, and that the salary increase I had originally received would be doubled. He made sure to ask if that was alright with me, and that if I had any questions, he would be glad to answer them. I thanked them for the extra raise, and was told to keep up the good work.

They didn't want to let me go that easy. :D

EDIT: Just remember, even if your employer likes you, they're in the business of making money. If they think you're worth the extra $$$, they'll give it to you if you ask for it. If they see an opportunity to get the same high level of work out of you for less money, they'll do it 10 times out of 10.

[CanmoreOrLess]

Originally posted by l/l/rX

I think you have poor work etiquette, the work I do can be done from home as well, but what does that say to my boss? That I don't like being at work? I don't like being around my co workers? I'm not a team player?

WTF, can't embed YT videos anymore? Link to YT.

From The IT Crowd:
pGFGD5pj03M

[Ven]

OP, I'm glad you were able to convince your boss to re-adjust your pay. However it sounds like it was a knee jerk reaction likely influenced by some internal source without all the facts and an equally shallow understanding of your position. For you boss to be so disconnected to your job duties, and be so easily influenced as to cut your wage by half it should raise a red flag as to the competency and trustworthiness of this person in their position. Seriously if my boss cut my wage by 50% but didn't actually understand what I was hired to do I'd probably start looking right away. It's no trivial thing to fuck with a persons life like that and not even know the facts.

[J-hop]

what i'm kind of confused about is how this came about in the first place. OP I am assuming you talked to your manager/supervisor about this working arrangement prior to deciding you can leave early from work each day so why would they just all of a sudden cut your wage? or did you just decide for yourself that you could go home early and work from home and never really had a formal discussion with your supervisor?

If its the latter then I can see why this happened and as an employer I would be extremely frustrated with your attitude.

I'm guessing because you mentioned studying that this is not your intended career. But if it is even a long term job while you complete school I think this is great wake up call that your attitude about work needs to change. From personal experience working with a person who comes in super early, doesn't take a lunch and leaves super early it is incredibly frustrating if I need to get information from this person or schedule a meeting. I end up having to bend my schedule to fit the very few hours this person is actually around the office (when I am in) or resort to lengthy emails to ask questions.

As a supervisor I would also wonder if you are working a full 8 hrs(or whatever your expected hours are) and if you are making up for your commute time which you are obviously doing during work hours??? These are questions a supervisor never wants to have to ask themselves, they don't have the time to be babysitting and reviewing all your work to make sure you are actually working when you are at home. Regardless of what they tell you I can guarantee they would rather you sitting at your desk for the work hours than be guessing if you are at home working or watching tv.

Salary doesn't necessarily mean you can work whenever you want, I'm on salary but even on my pay check they break it down to an hourly wage and it is expected I put a full 8 hours a day or 40hrs a week regardless of the amount of work (or lack there of) there is for me to do.


Also as a final note, consider this, out of sight out of mind is exactly that. I am sure you aren't doing yourself any favors in terms of getting a raise if you don't even have a presence in the workplace.

[eblend]

Sounds like you are in the backup business? What you describe as your work sounds like the tape backup people at my work place, but instead they go and sit in the computer room and read a book while they wait for the tapes to finish copying.

These people are old though, so whatever, but if you are young and all you do is wait between whatever it is your are doing, I definatelly wouldn't want to keep you around, as I have seen plenty of people like that at my workplace. There is a little something called multitasking, and I wish more people would do that instead of going out for coffee every 30 min because they have to "wait"

[Feruk]

Originally posted by The BMW Guy
I can see how it can affect my image not showing face though.
Just curious if the rest of you think I have poor etiquette?
Not at all. I think l/l/rX is totally off here. You're paid to do a job, not to sit around and make friendly with all the other employees. People who get mad at others who come in, do their job quickly, and get the rest of the day off are just jealous whiners. If someone wants face to face, let them schedule a meeting.

[LOLzilla]

Originally posted by CanmoreOrLess
Tim Ferriss addresses this very topic in his book "The 4-Hour Work Week". From my recall, you need an understanding manager who really does not care where you do your work as long as the results are there in the end. Ferriss did clear this "reduced" work week with his boss making certain the results were all that mattered. He communicated his history of always beating the company expectations in terms of sales numbers. This alone made Ferriss not easy to replace or fire.



Read the book after being let go for not being a "fitting" team member. I agreed. Read Tim's book and the points mentioned in the book as negotiations for my next job. I was employed within two months and now enjoy a large raise, work 3/5 days at home, and am working on a passive side business. It is a generational thing. The greybeards want to see you at the desk to look pretty. As they die off unified communications and mobile commuting will become the norm.