Employer asking me to take 40% cut ?

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dublinaam

Registered User
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29
Hi,

My employer has told me that they need someone with more experience and stronger in the role I have done for 3 years. They have said that they like me and rather than let me go they want to move me out on the road to sales. They have said they will be cutting my wage from 36k to 22k but that they difference is made up by them letting me have a company car and they will pay for petrol and insurance.
I feel they are taking advantage of me as am not one that stands up for myself. I am quite anxious about this as I know I am not the type of person that could do a sales job. I also don't even have a driving licence at the moment so I am worries about not getting the test that is coming up soon.

Can anyone let me know what my rights are? If I turn down the role can they let me go without any redundancy?

They have only said all this to me verbally (nothing in writing) and I verbally said that I would do it but I feel very anxious about the whole thing now.

Any advice would be great.

Thanks
 
Do you have regular performance reviews? have they ever indicated you are 'under performing'? Are they intending to replace you? there are a lot of questions here.. is there room for another sales person??
 
36k or 22k is just ridiculous! Even if you were expected to take a paycut there was so much room to negotiate... a 10% paycut, or even 15%. A company car is liable to benefit in kind also so you will be a lot worse off. If there is a union in your workplace get them on your side and arrange a meeting with the union, hr and your manager to go through his proposal. If there is no union get a co-worker with such experience, or even a solicitor to sit in on the meeting.

You were very foolish to agree to it, even if it was only verbally. You should be able to wiggle out of it by insisting on a new contract before any paycut takes place, and note that you expect a certain type of car (bmw or merc), plenty of fuel for personal use, a parking space and mileage expenses at civil servant rates! Something along those lines.

I'm not sure if they could just fire you to take on someone with more experience, as your job is not genuinely redundant. If there are others in after you they would need to make them redundant first. After all, you would be willing to take extra in-house training, or even a similar job with the same pay.
 
Tell them you've reconsidered their offer and have taken an Employment Lawyers advice, so you must decline the offer.

If you've already said you're no good at sales & don't have a licence and they force you to do it - it is in effect constructive dismissal. We had a similar case some time back and the advice from IBEC said it was "worse than sacking him"....
 
http://www.flac.ie


There are good industrial relations lawyers, ring and book appointment


[broken link removed]

Tell them your situation, and ask advice


Company are on shaky ground here, tell them you cannot take sales job, and want to remain in present role, ask them to highlight what skills you lack as you will work on them.
 
The offer of a on-the-road sales job as an alternative is a bit ropey considering (i) you've no sales experience and (ii) you don't have a driving license.

I'd suggest that the offer of the new job is nothing more than a red herring. It's an attempt to shift you from your current position without having to let you go (and all that comes with that). As someone has said, you're more likely to fail in any new role than you are in your current one. It might even be regarded as a form of constructive dismissal.

I'd refuse the offer. If your employer persists in trying to replace you, this should be dealt with in isolation of any alternative job offer. I think he would be on very thin ice if he/she sought to enforce this. You should at least bear this in mind in any discussions you have with him/her.
 
tenchi-fan said:
A company car is liable to benefit in kind also so you will be a lot worse off.
Click to expand...
While I don't disagree with the rest of your post, it is worth pointing out that the benefit-in-kind depends on the milage. If you are doing lots of business mileage, there will be little or no BIK to worry about.
 
Complainer said:
While I don't disagree with the rest of your post, it is worth pointing out that the benefit-in-kind depends on the milage. If you are doing lots of business mileage, there will be little or no BIK to worry about.
Click to expand...

Yes, it was just a small point but the op said "the difference is made up by them letting me have a company car" .. just pointing out it's taxable and *could* further reduce take home pay which will be low enough as it is!
 
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