(Hypothetical Question) Would you take a pay decrease?

[natalie_ca]

Hypothetically....

If the company you worked for had to lay off 4 people, or give a 20% pay decrease to everyone on staff in order to prevent the layoffs, would you willingly give up 20% of your salary in order to prevent anyone from losing their jobs?

 

[catkiki]

I hate to say it, but no.. I would not give up 20% of my salary. I can barely make it as it is. If I had to give up 20%, we would be on the streets. Where I work, there is a high turnover anyway.

 

[strange_wings]

It depends on if there's enough work for four people to begin with and if all four deserve to keep working. Why take a pay cut to keep someone around who may slack or do poor work all the time? -especially if you end up being the one to redo their projects.

 

[icklemiss21]

I have in the past taken a 10% decrease in pay to help out my boss, but it was a diffedrent situation, there was three of us job sharing and they were paid less but it wasn't working out with three of us, I took a decrease (in hourly pay) but was given more hours and benefits to make up for the decrease. Not sure if I would take 20% decrease - but then I think what if I was the one losing the job. I guess it depends on the job market where you work and whether the displaced person would be able to get a job easily

 

[sharky]

it depends .. if everyone worked hard and I could make bills without getting another job then yes

 

[starryeyedtiger]

It would depend on my finanical situation at that point in time, how it would effect my family, and my income. If I could live comfortably, put food on the table, and provide for my family's needs with that sort of pay cut and still be able to help out others, then yes I would not mind. If I couldn't meet my finanical needs however, I would not be ok with it.

 

[rapunzel47]

I have taken a 10% decrease, not happily but willingly, and would do it again in similar circumstances. 20%? Maybe. It would depend on a lot of things, the first two being the employer and whether I could handle it financially. Obviously, if it's not financially possible, it's not possible, though for the right employer, I'd be trying hard to make it work somehow. Fortunately, when I took the 10% cut, it was with an employer I trusted and wanted to stay with, and my trust was rewarded a year later when the cut was reversed and then some.

 

[sarahp]

Nope, not for 20%. I would work my butt off to make sure I wasn't one of those 4 people!

 

[mrblanche]

Depends. Is the boss taking a 20% cut, too? Because if 5 people took a 20% cut, the boss is essentially getting one employee for free, right?

And I don't think the mortgage company, the gas station, etc., are going to be cutting 20% any time soon.

 

[goldenkitty45]

In today's economy, yes I'd take the decrease to save the jobs. If you need extra, you probably could look for a part time job to help with the loss of pay.

 

[pookie-poo]

Well....let's see....the hospital where I work is doing a $122 million expansion. I think they could continue to pay me what I make right now. Actually, I think they could afford to get rid of several of their (multiple, multiple) unecessary vice presidents to save jobs of the people who do the real work. Sorry, do I sound bitter and cynical??? It's probably because I am!

 

[jugen]

Um, I took a SERIOUS paycut to work in a place that I very much enjoy.
I make half of what I made at my job that I was at for 17 years. It hurts but I am happy and enjoy what I do so it's all worth it.

 

[tara g]

No, I would not. I need my salary as it is to make sure we can afford our bills when our house is finished. They based the loan on MY income (since Rob isnt "established" yet, so they cant count his).

As long as I wasnt one of the people being laid off, I would not take a 20% decrease. It wouldnt be worth driving that far daily!

 

[calico2222]

With the job I have right now, no way! I hate the job and have to travel 45 mins to it, and I think we're underpaid as it is. The travel isn't as bad now that gas has gone down but it almost killed us over the summer. 20% less salary would put us in the same situation permenantly.

But, if it was a job I really enjoyed, AND the people who's jobs would be saved were good employees I probably would if I could afford to.

 

[krazy kat2]

No, I wouldn't. Not with the job market around here. Many of the people that work off base are military wives that have to have brand new everything. I would not take a pay cut so someone could live above their means or have 5 or 6 kids they can't pay for.

 

[gailc]

My first real job was a federal program that our funds were cut the second year I worked there. So it was a 20% cut as I went from working 5 days a week to 4 days. At that time I didn't have many expenses so it was ok. Six months later our funding was restored and went back to "full time".

As for now a 20% cut vs layoffs it seems in most jobs there are slackers and I wouldn't want to take such a large paycut to keep one of them employed.

 

[hopehacker]

No, I wouldn't. I make at about poverty level right now. I couldn't afford to. I barely have enough money to pay the rent each month, and keep my telephone at the same time. There is no way I could afford to make less. Besides, my boss has the best of both worlds, when people quit, he just doesn't hire anyone new, so we end up working 3x's harder for the same pay, and HE saves the money of hiring someone new. Did I mention I basically work for a man with a sweatshop type mentality?

 

[tigerontheprowl]

Well if the company I work at had to fire 4 people, they would probably just shut down our branch. It's the smallest one in all of Canada with only 12 employees. But if the branch wasn't shut down, I still wouldn't take the cut because there are 3 people in my branch alone that don't deserve to be getting paid what they are. I'm currently making $18.75 an hour. Someone who has been working there for the last 3 years is making $21.50 and he is honestly the biggest slacker I have ever met. He will come to work without any trouble or anything for usually about 2 weeks and then on friday he just goes and gets drunk and doesn't show up all of the next week. If people are going to slack off like that, I'm not going to give up my pay to keep them employed.

 

[nurseangel]

I would not take the pay cut. As it is, they have already cut our budget, making it difficult to get even needed office supplies.