would you work one ...
 

  You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more

[Closed] would you work one day a week for free?

49 Posts
41 Users
0 Reactions
84 Views
Posts: 24332
Full Member
Topic starter
 

Our senior management team has just asked for volunteers to work one day a week without pay to clear the 6M debt we have, looking at my salary I thought I already was!

Not sure how many senior management have put their hand up

Would you volunteer?


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:38 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

If the alternative was that 20% of the staff were to be made redundant, would that alter your view?


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:39 pm
Posts: 251
Full Member
 

wot druidh said.

Enlightened self interest.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:40 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

No, my organisation gets its pound of flesh for free from me already. Not getting anymore.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:40 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

would you like a 20% pay cut? Depends how much you love the job.

FWIW I'm still owed about £650 from my employer who did this in the early 1990's. He made me redundant at about this time of year, and never paid back his 'can you work just this week with no pay till the co. gets paid' loans.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:40 pm
Posts: 17
Free Member
 

If I was either to be made redundant or take a wage cut for a period I'd accept the latter, but it would have to be across-the-board, not voluntary as that's wholely unfair.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:40 pm
Posts: 1014
Free Member
 

volunteers

i'd like to think it was everyone or no one. seems a bit weird that anyone would take it on those terms.

I'd probably be inclined to drop 20% pay and work smarter 4 days instead of 5.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:41 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

If I felt I had contributed to the £6m debt I might do. But my guess is the 'blame' lies further up the 'ladder of success'


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:41 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Depends what job it was, who it I worked for, how much I enjoyed it etc. etc.

If it was some big multinational blah blah not a ****ing chance when the top dogs are probably earning 10x your pay.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:41 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Well I was working at a certain Japanese maufacturer when they [s]made[/s] asked us to take a 10% pay cut. I was doing at least 10hrs overtime each week too.

I left.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:41 pm
 LoCo
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I've been working for free for the last year.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:41 pm
Posts: 7846
Free Member
 

Only you know the specifics but if I thought it would protect my job or those of my colleagues then yes I would do it but it also depends on a lot of other factors.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:42 pm
Posts: 36
Free Member
 

If I were ever to be a salaried employee again and was asked to work 20% for no pay temporarily I would accept if they issued me shares equivalent to my lost pay. That way, if my sacrifice has contributed to the revival of a flagging firm I am rewarded. If it was a busted flush anyway, then it wont change anything.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:45 pm
Posts: 19914
Free Member
 

Would you volunteer?

Not on your nelly!

would you like a 20% pay cut?

I have done, but I do less working hours for it which is fine.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:46 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Stoner - Member
If I were ever to be a salaried employee again and was asked to work 20% for no pay temporarily I would accept if they issued me shares equivalent to my lost pay. That way, if my sacrifice has contributed to the revival of a flagging firm I am rewarded. If it was a busted flush anyway, then it wont change anything.

Yep - good idea


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:48 pm
Posts: 36
Free Member
 

TBH I think more people should have the opportunity to work for equity. Salary sacrifice for equity rewards labour, innovation, and shows commitment to the firm much better than cash bonuses which are selfish by their structure.

Probably works best in SMEs where you can feel that your work can have an influence and you can take an interest in other parts of the firm - necessary if you really want to behave like a shareholder. You've got to understand the bigger picture.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:52 pm
Posts: 24332
Full Member
Topic starter
 

It's the NHS so no shares available, lots of people would like redundancy or early retirement but the trust can't afford it, it's purely voluntary not mandatory atm, if everyone did it across the board I'd do it if it meant continued employment or maybe if the whole NHS did it I would...


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:56 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

No. Especially not considering its government run.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 2:57 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Rocketdog - I cannot believe they are even proposing it. Foundation trust perhpas? Nothing will come of it.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:00 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

You management sound like a bunch of bunglers. Firing them should help recover the company's position.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:02 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

If you can get something else that suits you for what you're on now or better = NO. If losing your job makes you unemployed for the foreseeable future then = YES.

Harsh but fair I think. I have always viewed work as a straightforward contract trading my life for money, it has to be worth my while.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:02 pm
Posts: 3
Free Member
 

If it was going to be mandated for all staff, or if everyone was going to take the same percentage pay cut then yes I would accept it.

Asking for volunteers is crazy as it would be the hard working minority rather than the lazy majority that would volunteer and therefore not solve the issue (note the sweeping assumptions, but you get the point)


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:14 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

The company I worked for had different cuts based on your level in the business...


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:25 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

My Trust asked the same a couple of years ago, NHS cost cutting has been around longer than the new government have been in power. They had such a lousy up take it just died a death.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:27 pm
 sor
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

A couple of months back we were either given a 20% pay cut, or given notice of redundancy. I look on it as if everything isn't an option, then something's better than nothing.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:33 pm
 dyls
Posts: 326
Free Member
 

No.

If they wanted to reduce from 5 days/week to 4days/week for a 20% cut then I might consider it for a short term. Assuming the £6m defecit is nothing to do with you.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:33 pm
Posts: 2
Full Member
 

Agree with some of the posters above, if they let you work 4 days a week for 20% less pay then OK - if your circumstances can afford it. I went to work for money at the end of the day, though did loads of extra hours unpaid.

You might have to consider the long term as well though, the whole pay and conditions thing. For instance if you took the reduction would your pension be effected?


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:40 pm
 Drac
Posts: 50352
 

TJ you never me mentioned joining a union?

Has someone stole your account.

Well as I work for the NHS too no I wouldnt I'm already on an a freeze for god knows how many years.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:42 pm
Posts: 3544
Free Member
 

My company did something similar - temporary part time, or unpaid leave.

Quite a lot of the younger guys took the opportunity to do a year off travelling with the guarantee of a job back when they'd finished. Others went to work for other companies and never came back.

It was quite popular actually working part-time, maybe for childcare, or kids holidays etc. knowing it wasn't a permanent fixture.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 3:47 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

About 4 weeks ago myself and my workmates were given the choice between taking a 25% pay cut or 3 of the work force being made redundent. As a result 3 of the worlds laziest barstewards were made redundent 😀


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 4:27 pm
Posts: 10485
Free Member
 

Well at our place (rather large rail engineering/construction company) there are talks of 20% reduction in staff and no more paid overtime, just rostered weekend shifts when the majority of construction work is done.

One day for free seems quite a decent option in my book


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 5:03 pm
Posts: 7932
Free Member
 

Thanks to an interesting loophole in my contract I put in a 9 hour day last week starting at 2.30am, and GAVE the company £210 for the privilege.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 5:11 pm
Posts: 11292
Full Member
 

Amount of hours I'm doing I already am. Ask how many senior management are then decide. How safe is your job? Company?


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 5:33 pm
Posts: 21461
Full Member
 

If I got some love for what I did them maybe but as the public think its their right that we run around after them and never manage a word of thanks, then no. Plus I simply couldn't afford it.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 5:43 pm
Posts: 1
Free Member
 

Sound like a sinking ship to me.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 5:48 pm
Posts: 1
Free Member
 


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 5:48 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I got volunteered a 12.5% pay drop, by volunteered I mean given notice and a choice of my old job at -12.5%.

I also had a mate (smallish company, <50) - Company meeting called, A - 2 people out, b 10% cut across board, need to know in 1 hour (they took 10% cut)

Other mate (admittedly optionally) had a year off at 15% of salary (but they did say if enough didn't do it it would require redundancies and it might still do so)

To be honest I fail to see why it's taken this long to hit the public sector.
Point 1 - use the phrase 'lead by example'
Point 2 - ask the question, presumably all external contractors/contracts have also been reviewed and when and what changes were made.
Point 3 - ask how management bonuses and (edit)payoffs are calculated asnd ask for them to be public domain

(edit) Equity is a great idea, I'd also suggest looking at the bonus scheme and making it apply at all levels of staff (get the initial bonus steps to be a fixed sum - that way it works well at lower salary levels - ie bonus step1 £x per person, step2 y per person, step 3 x + y + z% of salary


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 5:53 pm
Posts: 13356
Free Member
 

1 day a week for free? Hardly. I don't even do extra shifts for £17.50 an hour. I spend much more time there than I want to.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 6:16 pm
Posts: 785
Free Member
 

we had something similar - which seems ok as you get time off. then they ask (tell) you to work full time for no return of salary levels or they threaten redundancies. so here i am working full time for 20% less.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 6:21 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I'm a driving instructor (till the end of the year anyway) so I seem to work for free anyway!


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 6:26 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Yes, if the alternative was colleagues getting laid off or no salary at all.

What sane person would pick an alternative option?


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 6:28 pm
Posts: 23
Full Member
 

While I agree that I'd be happy to do it if it protected mine and others jobs, I really don't think the idea of asking for volunteers is an honest and fair solution/system. Surely if all staff were hit then it wouldn't need to be 20% would it? If the committee/manager who suggested it has assumed that 100% would volunteer then they want stuffing anyway. Not sure what the legalities of an enforced pay cut are, would it mean a new contract in effect? (And if so why don't you need a new contract when (if?) you ever have a pay rise)?

I'd want to see some sort of proof that ALL levels of the organisation were feeling the pain/doing their part. Obviously any staff on minimum should not be included.

Sounds to me like some "blue sky thinking" that has passed right out of the atmosphere. Best of luck.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 6:35 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

I also think that salary reductions should be proportionate to income.

If the receptionist is on £15,000, maybe deduct 5% if anything, the MD on £200,000 can well afford 30%.

Sadly, real life isn't equitable like that.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 6:41 pm
Posts: 2
Free Member
 

Yeah, I'd do it. I generally always do to be honest anyway, manager grades tend not to get paid overtime at our place.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 6:51 pm
Posts: 11292
Full Member
 

I'd strongly consider it if it meant saving my job...but I'd also be asking how many of the senior management were also doing this and what other measures are being taken to fix the debt.

I'm currently working enough hours to mean I'm not getting paid for all my time...any time off I do get fails to materialise as I end up working (not through choice)...

It's a crap crap situation to be in (yours I mean)...hopefully it won't last long.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 7:01 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

Not unless I was still earning £35K a year as I would then have to consider me, myself, my life and I an abject failure. 😕


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 7:14 pm
 ojom
Posts: 177
Free Member
 

the MD on £200,000 can well afford 30%.

Now i am a left winger at heart so don't take this the wrong way please but you cannot possibly say that.

It's all relative.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 7:19 pm
Posts: 13164
Full Member
 

No. 4 days a week for 20% less then yes.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 7:21 pm
Posts: 0
Free Member
 

thebikechain - Member

the MD on £200,000 can well afford 30%.

Now i am a left winger at heart so don't take this the wrong way please but you cannot possibly say that.

It's all relative.

Well, I'm a Tory and I think it'd be reasonable.

Those on £15K can't afford to lose a penny really, so the least that those on telephone number salaries can do is take a harder hit.
If they have to stop filling their moats with Evian, then so be it.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 7:29 pm
Posts: 65918
Free Member
 

It'd depend on the work. My current job? **** no. I do it to get paid, ergo, if I don't get paid I don't do it. In return, I don't ask them to pay me to go to the pub.

If I had a job i loved with a salary that'd allow a cut, I'd probably do it- rather than looking at it as a cut I'd decide if it was still a good job after the change.


 
Posted : 10/12/2010 7:38 pm

6 DAYS LEFT
We are currently at 95% of our target!