Would you take a 5% paycut?

[Hondahugger]

If Management approached you and said that they would be laying off 3 people if they couldn't get everyone to agree to take a 5% paycut, everyone agreed and you were the last one to approach, would you do it?

You might ask: Who are the 3 people?

Valid question, if you're giving up part of your salary, you want to know where it's going, right?

The three people are:

1: Some guy in the back cubical who keeps to himself, never bothers anyone and does his job.

2: A jerk you hate at the office who always steals your food out of the fridge, runs their mouth about things they know nothing about, slacks at their job goofing around and annoying just about everyone.

3: Your best friend who JUST had a baby and their spouce recently loss their job.

What would you do?

[askmrjesus]

I'd arrange for #2 to have an "accident", and keep the 5%.

JC

[Rider]

3 problems, 3 solutions.

[smileyman]

Originally Posted by Rider

3 problems, 3 solutions.

Saving those for management!

I suppose I could post whore for 5% less. But I would demand reciprocity from the coworkers...

[neebelung]

Originally Posted by Hondahugger

If Management approached you and said that they would be laying off 3 people if they couldn't get everyone to agree to take a 5% paycut, everyone agreed and you were the last one to approach, would you do it?

Yes.

Would it suck, would I complain about it? Yes. But we've already had both a formal "layoff," as well as a "redistribution of workload" (where the 12 people who lost their jobs were told "this isn't a layoff, we won't be calling you back, so go find other jobs") and that's just in the last few months. In the 8 years I've worked here, I've seen more layoffs and reorganizations than I can count. And each and every one of them just plain SUCKS...

Sometimes people you like lose their jobs; sometimes people you don't like lose their jobs. But the bottom line is, they're ALL people, they all have lives and families and other personal things we may or may not be aware of. Just because we don't "like" them doesn't make them any less human, or make them losing a job any less craptacular.

Originally Posted by Hondahugger

You might ask: Who are the 3 people?

Valid question, if you're giving up part of your salary, you want to know where it's going, right?

No, I wouldn't ask who they are. It's not my business, nor should management be obligated to tell you. It shouldn't factor in, IMO. That makes it personal, and it's a business decision.

For me, the decision would be based on choosing to take the paycut to either a.) save the company money in hopes it will improve their overall financial outlook, or b.) save some people their jobs in a very poor job market, where chances are, they won't find employment for a long time, or a combination of both factors. In either case, the WHO isn't important to me.

If you're trying to "do the right thing," you just do it. You don't base the decision on "Do I like that person? Do I not like that person?"

[marko138]

Yeah I would...and just did. We laid off 11 people AND took a 4% paycut. There was no option. Also, no 401k match anymore.

[neebelung]

Originally Posted by marko138

Yeah I would...and just did. We laid off 11 people AND took a 4% paycut. There was no option. Also, no 401k match anymore.

We just had our quarterly meeting last week... no profit sharing (can't 'share' what we didn't make), and corporate wide wage freeze (so those of us who've taken on all KINDS of extra work this year are just going to have to be glad we still have JOBS rather than complain about not getting a raise).

[G-Rex]

Originally Posted by neebelung

We just had our quarterly meeting last week... no profit sharing (can't 'share' what we didn't make), and corporate wide wage freeze (so those of us who've taken on all KINDS of extra work this year are just going to have to be glad we still have JOBS rather than complain about not getting a raise).

My company is small, and my time here winding down soon of my own doing.

However, if I were not leaving, and I was asked to take a paycut, the answer would be no.

I would suggest to the boss he has plenty of room to make sacrifices before we do. He spends more in a month on dining out than some people make in a month. That's just one example of many I can list.

[Dave]

fuck. no.

[azoomm]

I don't think it shows a very strong management structure in the company when they are giving options to their employees about fundamental company issues. It shouldn't be up to the employees. Amazingly, there is more stress and angst when the decision is made by the emotional than by those looking at the bottom line.

Would I? I would do what is best for the company in the long run. A flat 5% of each person's income isn't going to save the company that much - if they let someone go they then don't have to pay insurance, workman's comp, etc... so it would be better for the company to let someone go.

What is better for the company is better for ALL the employees.

Business decisions shouldn't be personal - it should be based on job performance.