“They are not obliged to give their consent, and they could take legal action to prevent such a change.” This means if your employer wants to cut your pay, they have to ask for your permission first. You can refuse a drop in wages, but you would be risking termination of your contract completely.

Can an employer impose a reduction in pay?

Legally, an employer cannot impose a pay cut upon its employees if they have an employment contract that sets out details of their salary entitlement. This decision is therefore one the employees in questions will have to consent to.

What is a reduction salary?

In a salary reduction, an employer lowers the amount of pay that you receive as payment for the job you perform.

Can a company take a 10% pay cut?

In a small manufacturing company a few years ago, the CEO explained at a company meeting that to avoid filing for bankruptcy, he was asking all employees to take a 10% pay cut. People grumbled, but most were committed to their company and their jobs.

When do you need to take a salary reduction?

An organization that is experiencing economic challenges may ask you to take a salary reduction. An economic downturn, a weather event, or another unpredictable happening such as a public health crisis has affected the company’s sales, profitability, or its ability to succeed, or even operate, as a business.

What does it mean when you get a pay cut?

A pay cut is a reduction in an employee’s salary. Pay cuts are often made to reduce layoffs while saving company money during a difficult economic period. A pay cut may be temporary or permanent, and may or may not come with a reduction in responsibilities.

Why did David Bakke take a pay cut?

David Bakke of MoneyCrashers.com remembers when he took a pay cut a few years ago because he wanted to get out of the restaurant industry. “I was tired of all the long hours and weekend work,” he says. “My new position involved a salary cut of roughly 10%, but also afforded me more time to spend with family and friends.