PAY Cuts!

[Chucktown PE]

I took a "voluntary" 10% pay cut (but still had to work the full 40hrs) in February... less than 3 weeks later I got laid off... still looking for work

What the hell is a voluntary pay cut?

We're on a salary freeze right now. They're saying we may get raises in October. So far we've had one or two rounds of layoffs but that was all for finance and administrative folks.

I don't think I could manage a 10% pay cut. We're down to bare bones.

 

[chaosiscash]

I'm not sure what the civil/structural outlook is right now in nuclear. Mechanical and electrical engineers are still in short supply. Our fossil work is falling off some right now but the nuke work is still going pretty strong.

My type of nuke work is a bit different.

Dleg, I'm currently at an A/E, and while our primary customer is the DOE, we do some commercial and DOD as well. We have a fair sized enviromental division, and we've got a large design-build project getting ready to start, so that will keep some of our civils busy for a while. We also have good sized infrastructure reduction projects, there are a lot of cold-war era buildings here in Oak Ridge, which are an enviromental nightmare, but that keeps that division fairly busy.

Oak Ridge is an old government town, and we're getting a lot of Obamabucks. Its a good thing, but its making it hard to find good employees, as all the local companies are getting pretty busy.

 

[Supe]

Our fossil design work right now is minimal, while the nuclear continues to ramp up. Very few outsiders being brought in though, they're just shifting everyone they can internally to preserve jobs, even with field personnel.

 

[TXengrChickPE]

What the hell is a voluntary pay cut?

That's when they tell you that you need to take a 10% cut... or look for a new job. MOST of the time, taking a voluntary pay cut gives you a bit of security. As it turns out, the crooked bastards that I used to work for only care about the bottom line. By making us all take pay cuts 3 weeks before we got laid off, their unemployment insurance went up by 10% LESS than it would have otherwise.

 

[Parks and Rec]

At my last company we took a 10% pay cut starting in December 2008. I was laid off Dec 12, so my last paycheck and severnace was at the reduced rate. This is after the company converted 6 weeks of sick time into something I couldn't touch, punks.

Another local engineering company took a 15% pay cut followed by another 15% pay cut. This was on top of losing the company 401k match. So all total around 35%...That would be a big loss. I would 't want to work there for long. Assuming no raise for the next year, how long would it take to get back to pre-cut salary?

 

[wilheldp_PE]

That's when they tell you that you need to take a 10% cut... or look for a new job. MOST of the time, taking a voluntary pay cut gives you a bit of security. As it turns out, the crooked bastards that I used to work for only care about the bottom line. By making us all take pay cuts 3 weeks before we got laid off, their unemployment insurance went up by 10% LESS than it would have otherwise.

So it was voluntary in the same way that taxes are voluntary.

 

[FLBuff PE]

I took a "voluntary" 10% pay cut (but still had to work the full 40hrs) in February... less than 3 weeks later I got laid off... still looking for work

First I've heard of this. Sorry to hear that, Tx. Good luck in the job search!

 

[Capt Worley PE]

By making us all take pay cuts 3 weeks before we got laid off, their unemployment insurance went up by 10% LESS than it would have otherwise.

That's some unethical BS right there.

 

[FLBuff PE]

That's some unethical BS right there.

Only slightly...

 

[TXengrChickPE]

So it was voluntary in the same way that taxes are voluntary.

precisely

First I've heard of this. Sorry to hear that, Tx. Good luck in the job search!

Thanks.

That's some unethical BS right there.

Yeah... they also told the unemployment people that it was a temporary layoff, which has delayed my getting my unemployment benefits.

 

[Chucktown PE]

Yeah... they also told the unemployment people that it was a temporary layoff, which has delayed my getting my unemployment benefits.

You should seriously look at getting a lawyer. These guys sound like they're hurting for a lawsuit.

 

[FLBuff PE]

You should seriously look at getting a lawyer. These guys sound like they're hurting for a lawsuit.

Concur. If enough people had this same situation happen to them, class-action may be an option.

 

[SSmith]

Your good uncle welcomes everyone with open arms.........

 

[Dleg]

My type of nuke work is a bit different.
Dleg, I'm currently at an A/E, and while our primary customer is the DOE, we do some commercial and DOD as well. We have a fair sized enviromental division, and we've got a large design-build project getting ready to start, so that will keep some of our civils busy for a while. We also have good sized infrastructure reduction projects, there are a lot of cold-war era buildings here in Oak Ridge, which are an enviromental nightmare, but that keeps that division fairly busy.

Oak Ridge is an old government town, and we're getting a lot of Obamabucks. Its a good thing, but its making it hard to find good employees, as all the local companies are getting pretty busy.

Ah... Oak Ridge... that should keep the clean up folks busy for a long time, I would imagine! I was curious because I thought you were involved in nuclear power (maybe you are?) and I was just wondering what kinds of jobs are available in that field, since I know so very little about it.

I know all about the demand for engineers that the Obamabucks are creating, especially in small and remote places like here, where the politicians ran off all the engineers and project managers several years ago. All of a sudden, my value has skyrocketed (but not my pay - working on that one now). I hear it's the same in certain parts of the mainland as well, you just have to be willing to move around to follow the money I guess.

 

[rudy]

So.....any of you guys been the recipient of the wonderful new cost saving measure the "Pay CUT"?
I just found out that my NEW salary starting with the NEXT pay period will be 10% less than the last pay period!!!! yippeee!!

let me tell you...that's a big cut!

Sorry about that NCcarguy. I'm going thru the 10% pay cut. Well, more like the 8.3% pay cut. We're being asked (correction...told) to take 1 week off without pay every quarter (~ every 12 weeks). It is a big chunk, but I'm reducing my 401k contribution to help make up my take home pay, especially since they stopped matching contributions.

Yeah... they also told the unemployment people that it was a temporary layoff, which has delayed my getting my unemployment benefits.

Sorry about that TX. I agree with Chucktown and FLBuff, sounds like a law suit. A "temporary layoff", does that mean they didn't offer you a severance package? Did they make you sign a "no lawsuit" agreement in exchange for pay? Here, they give you 2 more weeks pay if you sign a "no lawsuit" agreement.

 

[chaosiscash]

Ah... Oak Ridge... that should keep the clean up folks busy for a long time, I would imagine! I was curious because I thought you were involved in nuclear power (maybe you are?) and I was just wondering what kinds of jobs are available in that field, since I know so very little about it.

I don't do any nuke power work right now, although one of my companies clients is TVA. Oak Ridge is mainly National Lab and Weapons Complex oriented, although there is some fuel enrichment work around here. But mainly we're into "modernization" (building new facilities to replace WWII and Cold War era ones, and then tearing down the old ones). Flyer is a nuke power guy.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

You should seriously look at getting a lawyer. These guys sound like they're hurting for a lawsuit.

I don't usually agree with taking this route, but it seems warranted in this case...

 

[TXengrChickPE]

Sorry about that TX. I agree with Chucktown and FLBuff, sounds like a law suit. A "temporary layoff", does that mean they didn't offer you a severance package? Did they make you sign a "no lawsuit" agreement in exchange for pay? Here, they give you 2 more weeks pay if you sign a "no lawsuit" agreement.

We got two weeks pay "in lieu of advance notice of the layoff". I'll need to dig out my copy of what I signed. I don't think it said anything about not suing.

But, the worst part of the whole thing is that if they offer me a job before I find something else, I HAVE to take it, or lose the unemployment. AND, I have to be willing to accept another 25% cut, according to TX unemployment rules.

 

[EM_PS]

You should seriously look at getting a lawyer. These guys sound like they're hurting for a lawsuit.

Sorry about that TX. I agree with Chucktown and FLBuff, sounds like a law suit. A "temporary layoff", does that mean they didn't offer you a severance package? Did they make you sign a "no lawsuit" agreement in exchange for pay? Here, they give you 2 more weeks pay if you sign a "no lawsuit" agreement.

Hmm, most layoffs are typically 'temporary' in intent, unless you're actually being downsized or they're just flat cutting jobs out. That said, doesn't matter, you're entitled to unemployment compensation even if you're off for just a week. So even if all you're doing is waiting for getting "called back" to work (truly a temporary layoff), you are entitled to collect unemployment for whatever the prescribed term is. Surveyors up this way go thru this almost every winter.

Just sayin' my :2cents: before you go getting a sheister lawyer all up in your business.

 

[TouchDown]

Sorry NC and TX.

I'm in manufacturing - our plant is pretty much down to 2 or 3 day weeks right now. In this particular mfg corporation - they place a % of your pay "at risk"... In other words, you will get 15% of your pay if your division meets all it's goals. If it misses, you get less. Right now, my at risk pay is pretty much 0%. So there goes 15% from my "normal" paycheck.

On top of that, they announced that there would be NO increases this year across the board. With insurance going up, etc. there's another knock in the pocketbook.

Times are getting tougher, but at least I still have a job. Good luck TX, hope a door or window opens up soon for you.