Please help

[arch2024]

Hi I am reaching out for some desperate advice.
I took a role a year ago on a higher salary. Left a huge company after 10 years to start a ‘start up’ . I have 25 years experience in my sector. Agreed to a financial budget (not knowing what I was walking into) that was completely unachieveable. Brought staff on. Has taken a year + to build.
Meeting last week as we are now in growth and will turn a profit inside of 13 months.
I requested a new headcount . I’ve been told that I can aslong as I agree to take a salary cut (25%) at the end of Q1 and/OR Q2 IF I don’t achieve the budget.
Now I was under the impression my commissions can be changed but surely a phone call and being forced to make that decision is wrong ? I’ve been there under 2 years . I had to agree as my current team is drowning. I’ve given my life to this but now I feel like even if I do well (which I will), what’s next ? Is this somewhere you would want to work knowing your livelihood can be played with so easily. Any advice would be welcome as I don’t have HR - the boss is HR. I feel so isolated and I am frightened to death of him. I’ve had no reviews, not even a probation review.
Thanks

So the choice is
no extra in your team
or
you get an extra but if no hitting target you take a pay cut of 25%?

just say no extra team member then? Loads of companies have freeze recruitment

• How far off meeting the budget are you?
• What are the jobs that are making everyone busy a.
• Can any of those tasks be simplified/automated/postponed to focus of revenue generation?
• if you split the headcount budget to get 3 cheaper temporary roles instead of 1 full time perm would that allow you to generate any additional revenue or cut costs elsewhere by bashing through a large amount of work in a shorter period?

Ultimately you don't like his approach and I'm actually not sure how legal his approach is if he's wanting to cut your contracted salary rather than a non-contractual bonus, so looking elsewhere would probably be prudent.

What he’s doing is legal, he couldn’t force a pay cut on you but he can reduce with your agreement, so it’s a choice really and decision to make.

He could have just said, as many are,
no.