Cutting base salary

Ja7188

I went back to the office upset from the appraisal and a new person who has been with us a year asked me how it went and I told him and he said "the problem with you is that you're trying to fit 8 hours work into 5 hours" so there is a perception of me that I am working 5 hours a day which isn't true. I bring my lunch to work and eat at my desk so don't leave the office during the day.

One person saying this doesn't mean that there is an overall perception within the company that you're only working 5 hours per day - is the person who said this one of the manager's "favourites" by any chance?

If you do need to spend more time than others in the loo, could you perhaps agree to shorten your lunch break or finish to work slightly later (if this is viable) to make up for it?

I don't think that you should just look for another job at this point - with a child, I expect you want to a job that you know you can do (which you very clearly can) and would sooner avoid the uncertainty that goes with any new role.

A company can adjust a salary downwards as well as upwards, so on the face of it, what they're doing isn't illegal.

Could a company do this without formally changing the person's role or job specification? For example, if the OP's salary is £25k but the salary range for the position is £23k to £27k (so the pay is within range), could they simply reduce it to (say) £24k (which is obviously also within range)...?

ScorpiondeRooftrouser

Ja7188 wrote: »

I don't think that you should just look for another job at this point - with a child, I expect you want to a job that you know you can do (which you very clearly can) and would sooner avoid the uncertainty that goes with any new role.

Maybe so; but they should be aware that their manager clearly doesn't like them, or think much of them. There's not much to be gained in such a situation from forcing them to keep you on. You can just wait out the storm and hope the manager changes of course, but starting a new job is often far easier and more pleasant.

Ja7188 wrote: »

Could a company do this without formally changing the person's role or job specification? For example, if the OP's salary is £25k but the salary range for the position is £23k to £27k (so the pay is within range), could they simply reduce it to (say) £24k (which is obviously also within range)...?

If ( a big if) the company has any such ranges, they could just change them as well.

Masomnia

Ja7188 wrote: »

Could a company do this without formally changing the person's role or job specification? For example, if the OP's salary is £25k but the salary range for the position is £23k to £27k (so the pay is within range), could they simply reduce it to (say) £24k (which is obviously also within range)...?

Obviously would be a breach of contract, like in this case. OP you should take advice.

Jox

Thanks all, there isn't a salary band in my role, I started 10 years ago and salary has increased every year.

The reason for reduction of salary is purely to give a message to another person.

I will seek advice. I called Acas yesterday but hung up after 15 mins on hold.

k3lvc

Jox wrote: »

The reason for reduction of salary is purely to give a message to another person.

No - that's the reason you've been told and is a fairly unbelievable reason unless individual salaries are in the public domain for your organisation.

ohreally

Jox wrote: »

The reason for reduction of salary is purely to give a message to another person.

I suspect your failing to understand the situation. If they want to send a message to an individual, you don't cut another's pay. I suspect you're going to be exited out the door soon. I hope I'm wrong, but the signs are there.

System

So you are coming in at 10am and leaving at 7pm still?


If I was your colleague I would be a little miffed that you got a lie in on a morning and for two hours of the day no one was around !


I had an ex-colleague that did something similar. Negotiated coming in late and staying late. Of course, the late nights were unsupervised and really, there was little work around for them to do. Frankly, they could put their feet up for the final two hours because no one was there and it grated on all of us. Perhaps this is why...

Jox

Everyone comes in at 9.30am and I come in at 10am, I take my son to childcare at 9am and then it's an hour to work which they know, so there isn't a lie in

My colleagues leave after 7pm as well, we all have lots of work to do. I don't take a lunch break. All my work is done and I have been given extra duties this year which I have done well and I got 5 out of 5s in my appraisal.

My boss told me he wants to cut my base salary as an example to a pregnant woman in the office

LilElvis

Jox wrote: »

Everyone comes in at 9.30am and I come in at 10am, I take my son to childcare at 9am and then it's an hour to work which they know, so there isn't a lie in

My colleagues leave after 7pm as well, we all have lots of work to do. I don't take a lunch break. All my work is done and I have been given extra duties this year which I have done well and I got 5 out of 5s in my appraisal.

My boss told me he wants to cut my base salary as an example to a pregnant woman in the office

Get him to put the details of your appraisal in writing and see what he says there regarding your salary, then you will have a better idea as to what action you need to take.

nicechap

Jox wrote: »

Hi all, I had my appraisal at work last week, my boss took me to a coffee shop for it and told me that he wants to cut my base comp to make an example of me to another lady who is pregnant.

Basically I have been at my job 10 years and had 3 bosses in that time. 4 years ago in 2014 I had my son, I had 6 months maternity leave where I came in to do work every 3 weeks and when I returned to work in July 2014 instead of coming to work 9.30am to 6.30pm I came to work 10am to 7pm to allow me to take my son to childcare. At the time I didn't have a boss as he was got rid of so it was just me and a director in the office. I do all my work and have my phone on me to work at home in evenings and weekends.

This new boss started April 2015 and I explained to him about my requirements and he did say he wasn't happy with it but he has never told me I can't do this or given me a disciplinary or anything official.

2 years ago a lady joined the team and now she is pregnant and my boss told me at my appraisal that he wants to cut my salary to make an example to her to not come in late like me (it doesn't even specify in my contract what my hours are)

Plus he told me I spend too much time in the loo and do I have a medical problem. I feel he is just trying to make digs at me...

I went back to the office upset from the appraisal and a new person who has been with us a year asked me how it went and I told him and he said "the problem with you is that you're trying to fit 8 hours work into 5 hours" so there is a perception of me that I am working 5 hours a day which isn't true. I bring my lunch to work and eat at my desk so don't leave the office during the day.

Should I get some advice about all of this, I'm feeling very upset after 10 years of hard work for this company, 3 bosses, 3 office moves and I am the one person remaining who has been here since the very beginning. We are the UK office and our head office and HR are in another country.

Any thoughts please? Thanks

Jox wrote: »

Thanks for replying Yes we are bound by UK employment laws. The irony is that in my appraisal he gave me 5 out of 5s for my performance and there was no dispute there. They have given me extra work in the last year which I have completed.

There was no question of downgrading me or moving me to another role. it just seems that they want to make me uncomfortable and give a warning to another soon to be parent.

My 2pworth.


This looks like blatant sexual discrimination to me. It needs recording & challenging. Rather than ask someone else for a write up, you need to put it down. So, maybe, email your boss and couch it in terms of,


"sorry if I've got the wrong end of the stick but I just wanted to check that I've not misunderstood you. You are happy with my performance, you acknowledge I work 9 hours a day in the office and plenty of time out of the office working for the company too, but you plan to reduce my salary as a lesson to a pregnant colleague."


Any HR person worth their salt will stop this in its tracks. The end point may still be you being managed out but you need to establish an evidence trail.


If your boss continues on their planned path, then raise a grievance, etc, all to lay the evidence trail.


And make sure your colleagues know you're not squeezing 8 hours into 5, but doing 45 hour weeks, just not in front of them.


And if you do have a medical condition, share it confidentially with your boss as they should make reasonable adjustments, and again, if it becomes public knowledge its another item for the evidence tail.


I expect in actuality, HR will tell off the boss and he will have the huff for a while, so, if he backs down, make sure you remain professional, do the job expected of you and rise above the petty politics.