A reader writes:
I work able that’s the butt of a gross sales group. I don’t thoughts it, however I don’t make a ton and take care of a number of nonsense.
On Thursday, they known as a gathering for me and the six different individuals or so in my place and spent half-hour telling us how dangerous the financial system is, how dangerous gross sales presently are, and the way our group “loses money for the company.”
However that isn’t true. We surpassed our objectives, even the lofty one buyers didn’t suppose we might hit (which included doubling our income in a single calendar yr). It was not a small feat. All due to my group and one other group we work with.
I assumed they might maybe restructure our plan however they simply straight-up reduce our pay, equal to about $3-6k per yr, which isn’t a small amount of cash!
They had been too afraid to inform us as a gaggle, in order that they pulled us apart individually. All of us checked with one another after and all of us obtained the identical actual pay reduce.
Every time we attempt to converse to our bosses about it, they simply inform us it’s regular for objectives to vary yearly. However none of us are upset concerning the objectives altering, we’re upset about being paid much less for extra work.
Once I confronted my boss about it, she advised me it’s solely $250 a month. However we’re not even paid properly to begin with! If it is just $250 a month, then why did they take away it in any respect if it’s such a small quantity of quantity to her? We’re already paid $10k beneath the trade common for our place.
All our bosses obtained promotions and raises as a result of we hit our objectives. Additionally they advised us the pay reduce was to make sure that we didn’t have to fireplace anybody, however as lately as new yr’s, they employed one other particular person for a place we weren’t even hiring for — he’s a buddy of the boss.
Moreover … your entire firm obtained bonuses, some deep into the 5 determine vary. The explanation given is as a result of the gross sales group exceeded their aim. We had been excluded from this bonus. It was paid out the identical day our pay cuts had been introduced.
I don’t have a single drop of motivation to ever put any additional effort on this job ever once more. Is that this regular? I really feel like I’m going loopy. They’re gaslighting us, proper?
I really feel like my belief has been violated. Our bosses stored telling us we might settle down after a couple of days, however at the moment is day 3 and I’m in all probability angrier than I’ve ever been. Gross sales entails coping with issues outdoors of labor hours, doing a number of analysis effort alone, and we don’t actually have anybody supporting us and we took a pay reduce. It’s past a slap within the face.
I really feel like they’re utilizing the current giant layoffs to scare us, however we aren’t these firms. They paid out bonuses and gave promotions, whereas chopping our pay.
Simply inform me this isn’t regular? And what ought to I be doing transferring ahead? Most of us wish to stop however our bosses are attempting to proceed like the whole lot is regular. Our output reduce by virtually 70% because the announcement, however I do know some individuals are going to return to regular as a result of they don’t have some other alternative. However I don’t wish to.
It’s not regular, and it’s not okay.
Your organization is mendacity to you, and your managers are attempting to confuse you about what’s actually taking place.
To be clear, there are occasions when firms genuinely do want to chop pay. It’s a extremely large deal, however typically it’s unavoidable. Typically firms which have to do this perceive it’s an enormous deal and dangers destroying morale, and so they’d often attempt to be extra considerate concerning the optics of chopping pay on the similar time that they’re awarding bonuses, making a place for the boss’s buddy, or giving your managers promotions and raises as a result of the group getting its pay lowered hit their objectives.
It’s additionally BS that whenever you’re upset a couple of pay reduce (which is a really regular factor for individuals to be upset about, even in circumstances the place it’s needed), they’re responding by telling you it’s regular for objectives to vary. They’re deliberately lacking the purpose in order that they don’t have to interact with what you’re really saying.
So sure, it’s each regular and cheap that you just’ve misplaced your motivation to place in additional effort for this job. Individuals put in additional effort once they belief their firm. They cease doing that once they see their firm is screwing them over. They actually cease doing it once they see that additional effort not solely received’t be rewarded however can be met with slashed pay.
As for what to do: Go searching and see what else is on the market. In the meantime, it’s sensible to do sufficient to maintain your job, however they’ve clearly signaled that there’s no worth in doing greater than that.
