Can Employers cut our salaries?

[Jellybellyrbest]

Hi, I've been called into a meeting at work tomorrow. I'm on ML & I've been advised I need to attend & to bring baby in if necessary.
My Colleague thinks that we'll be told at this meeting we have to take a cut in pay. Can our Employers do this? I work as a nurse for a GP practice.

Yes. Or your hours.

Sounds like something big and unpleasant is happening. Yes your employer can cut pay, vary hours etc.

It's not nearly as simple as that, they can't just cut your hours and salary, no. These are your terms and conditions and they require your consent to change them.

However, as long as they consult with you properly and have excellent business reasons for the change, they may be able to force it though after jumping through some hoops.

Thanks Folks! Thought as much. Yes...am dreading it!

Well they can 'restructure' which means making you reapply for a 'new' job at a lower salary etc.

Welcome to our brave new corporate dystopia. Hugs to you I'm v sorry to hear this.

Sometimes for example staff would rather they all accept a 20% pay cut than in in 5 be laid off. In the current climate that indeed might be the best compromise although I am not so sure GP practices' income has got so low that there would be redundancy situations arising - take legal advice, take notes, agree nothing on the day.

Even consider if you could go self employed and contract your services in to them and other practices. You might ultimately make more money that way and woudl be your own boss.

Jelly - is there an update?

this happened to DH years ago and a couple of friends, one of them had a degree in Maths and common sence, they where asked to take a 20% pay cut, he pointed out they would be better appearing to agree wholeheartedly...for the good of the company bull shit bull shit, then talk about how it work to everyones advantage if, now here is an idea we worked 20% less but same pay, we get a day off you get the same committement, management I think relieved they had made the saving demanded, agreed.

the advantage of this strategy was 2 of them managed to find work for the one day they had off with the cut in hours and when work picked up they where asked if they could increase their hours by management which obviously put their pay back to previous levels,

the clever chap who thought of this pointed out at the out set, that if they took the pay cut they would be sent whistling off when business picked up as to recoup their pay they would be asking for something like a 26% pay increase but an increase in hour, wouldn't raise an eyebrow with the increase in pay.

Good luck not a nice thing to go through.

Hi All! Been sitting with my calculator...what's been suggested is a generalised decrease of 2.5% in pay & 5% in hours for all staff, to which we can agree/disagree. However, this is to avoid Redundancies. If all staff do not agree there will be 2 redundancies made. There were reasons given, a timeline for review & there will be a meeting with each member of staff individually to discuss exactly what it means for them. It'll take effect in 5 weeks if we all agree. It means an overall 10% decrease in take home pay, dressed up nicely. Thx for all your advice & interest folks! I'm still digesting it. For DH & I it means that we'll only be £300/mth better off after childcare & for all the stress involved for me & our LO I'm just not sure it's worth it.

Also worth reading the advice in this article

Should we take a pay cut

Am assuming this includes all the GP's as well!!

I agree with missingmum with the alternative strategy.

Few years ago at DH's work, big meeting, costs to be reduced etc may have to make redundancies. DH and co workers asked for a break and all agreed (8 of them) that they would all offer to do 4 days per week. Offered this to management who accepted. Within one month back to 5 days per week and no redundancies.

According to the GPs they are 'bearing the brunt' of the pay cuts. No more detail than that though! Hnmmnn....part of the bigger issue for my Colleague & myself is that in the last 2 weeks they've actually asked me to take on more responsibility when I return to work. They already knew this was in the offing & so they knew they'd be spreading us even more thinly. So with this knowledge it makes that even more of a burden. It feels like their expectations are completely unrealistic.

Well Said Friday where I work our lords and masters in solidarity with us lowly workers have refused their pay rise and whilst that hasn't impressed a lot of people, I can appreciate that losing a whooping 1% on £200,000 or whatever it is they get still hurts, you live to your means.
it's just their means are greater...

I can only see one problem with the strategy I told you..GP's I just cottoned on! don't let them guilt trip you on patients will suffer, that is their problem not yours, I speak as a nurse, who finally realised the only way patients suffer is if they have a pissed off and unmotivated member of staff due to being treated unfairly.
bottom line is GP's are Private businesses, not NHS, just paid by them, and if they can't pay staff, they need to cut their practice, or merge,

Oh! other note, if you agree to this, if later they need to make you redundant, then it is at the new rate of pay, I have seen this done!

Ps. The above suggestions are v interesting. Going to have s closer look at that & discuss with my colleagues...