reduced hours

shane.

we have been working on reduced hours for a while(appox 3 hours less than normal), a few weeks ago they reduced our hours by another 3, just last week the company took all its managers and head office staff out for a golf outing and dinner, surely this cant be right when they are reducing hours!!!

Mrs OBumble

How many hours a week do you work normally? Did you agree to having your hours cut? How long did they say the cut is for?

Bandana boy

Reducing hours is based on the capacity versus Demand.
The alternative to reducing hours is to reduce capacity ( i.e. let some people go)

I imagine the day offsite was to address morale/teambuilding, Somebody somewhere believed that the money spent on team building/rewards would have a beneficial pay back .
Overpaying for the work you do was not deemed to have a payback hence your hours were cut.

Being fiscally responsible on your capacity levels vs. demand and spending money on teambuilding, rewards are not exclusive events.

Deise Vu

Bandana boy wrote: »

I imagine the day offsite was to address morale/teambuilding, Somebody somewhere believed that the money spent on team building/rewards would have a beneficial pay back .
Overpaying for the work you do was not deemed to have a payback hence your hours were cut.

Being fiscally responsible on your capacity levels vs. demand and spending money on teambuilding, rewards are not exclusive events.

And the morale of non-management staff is irrelevant?

tatli_lokma

Probably the budget has been cut, but as in so many companies, those who get to set the budget forecast don't want the cuts to affect them and their salary or perks, so they find a way to make those lower down the chain absorb the cost cutting so they can continue to enjoy the same standard they always did. They probably have some sort of team outing every year and the only way it could be paid for this year was to cut costs elsewhere - so the poor plebs like you and I get less hours.

Its not right morally or ethically, but it's not illegal. Is there a union in your company or are you part of a union? This might be something they would argue on your behalf. As I say its not illegal, but a union raising it as a grievance might work.

But as Mrs O points out, the way your hours are cut needs to address some basic employement rights considerations. If you have a contract for x number of hours they can't reduce your hours without your consent. This might be the only way you can argue a case for yourselves.

Bandana boy

Deise Vu wrote: »

And the morale of non-management staff is irrelevant?

There was two decisions made independent of each other , one too cut hours and one to have a teambuilding event for Central management.
Assuming these decisions were made correctly would suggest that the morale of the labour force was not as important than that off the central management team/sales force.

I am not saying that I agree with the call or would make the same call personally ,just stating that these decisions are often made in isolation and nearly always have the best interest of the company at their heart. And as such there is nothing illegal about them or anything inherently immoral.