POLL: Working from Home, salary reduction. [UPDATE 10TH August 2021]

Discussion in 'The Guru's Pub' started by Loobyluggs, Aug 4, 2020.

?

Would you accept a pay cut to work from home?

  1. Yes

    10.5%
  2. No

    64.9%
  3. Depends on how much of a pay cut

    24.6%
  1. Reardan

    Reardan Master Guru

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    No it isn't. The job I do, my value to the company, supply and demand, are how we agree on a number.

    If I buy a new car, my employer isn't going to start paying me more to cover it. If I move 20 miles further, they aren't going to pay more.

    On the other hand, if I take on a new job, or I'm promoted, or do something exceptional, or become difficult to replace? Then I get increases. But the fact that I pay for Gigabit at home? Why would the employer care about my costs? Makes no sense.
     
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  2. AsiJu

    AsiJu Ancient Guru

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    Which is (one reason) why I wouldn't accept a pay cut just because WFH.
    If I work full hours I expect to be paid in full too.

    I don't quite get what you're going for in general.

    That as one should consider travel time a part of their salary one should also accept a salary reduction if travel time is reduced?

    To me that's pretty strange logic.
     
  3. Loobyluggs

    Loobyluggs Ancient Guru

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    Yet, if you are going to be working from home and all legal boxes are to be ticked - you need a new contract, which requires negotiation.

    As an aside people - this is NOT about the current human malware virus infecting people, it's a general point about working from home and contract negotiation if you would want to work from home.

    One of the biggest reasons you can argue your contract is the cost to you and your time in working for a company.

    If that changes in the slightest way, you should have a new contract, and if your employer is offering you a chance to work from home, you needs those new terms agreed upon and signed.

    Let me (perhaps) ask a much much much simpler question:

    IF YOU WERE OFFERED TO WORK FROM HOME - BUT HAD TO TAKE A PAY CUT, WOULD YOU TAKE IT?*

    *on the understanding you would not actually have less money in your account at the end of the month, minus all costs to you.

    Y'see - you would have the same amount of money! Just, you would be working from home, but, you ARE getting a reduced salary.

    Does that help the discussion?
     
  4. Tat3

    Tat3 Ancient Guru

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    No. Lower salary = less money when you eventually retire.

    Edit: when you are retired the pension you get is calculated from the amount of money you have earned.
     

  5. Reardan

    Reardan Master Guru

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    Nope, still doing the same job, still the same value to the company, still demanding the same money.
     
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  6. Loobyluggs

    Loobyluggs Ancient Guru

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    So, no - you might as well work in the office then.
     
  7. Ryu5uzaku

    Ryu5uzaku Ancient Guru

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    Travel time I never saw as part of negotiations nor salary. No company would pay me tad extra or less depending how close or far I live to the office either. They don't usually care about anything but the revenue. It's not out of their pocket that part anyway. For me working from home can be a bonus, but why should my hours cost less when I am paid for only those hours?
     
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  8. jbmcmillan

    jbmcmillan Guest

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    I wouldn't take a pay cut to work from home the work/life lines get blurred companies if you give them an inch they take a mile. Suddenly you're getting emails and phone calls that need a response outside of your regular work hrs and so on on and on. I never worked in an office but a friend I know has been doing this for a while now for obvious reasons and that's exactly what's been happening.
     
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  9. Alessio1989

    Alessio1989 Ancient Guru

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    They should increase the salary, working from home means less expanses for the company.
     
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  10. DannyD

    DannyD Ancient Guru

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    I'd take a cut to sit on my ass all day and get paid for it, bloody hell the thought of it alone!:D
     
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  11. Finally. Someone said it... less company overhead. If anything pay increases. You can file as home office on taxes. You're offsetting company internet, power, etc. Yeah reducing salary is just a flag for being in the wrong company.

    A pay cut is still a pay cut is a pay cut is a pay cut. Cmon @Loobyluggs what are we going for here? This shouldn't be that hard yeah? Or is it the question of how many people are willing to take a cut to work from home because if so that's quite the bummer. Those folks are just missing the point & don't know their worth at all.

    EDIT: FLSA does have some stipulations to pay cuts in terms of "exempt" & "non-exempt" workers depending on job classification of worker, amount of pay (hourly or annual salary) as well as of-course title 4 recognizing employees as staffers and not recognizing contractors as employees if I recall. To put it best. It is best as staff, salary/hourly above a certain income bracket as FLSA ensures an employer cannot simply "autonomously" issue a pay cut to you excluding said employer/parent/subsidiary/dept having immediate budgetary concerns, ie chapter 11 or something very extreme if I recall to justify it and that cut or offset being necessary to remediate that.

    I'll bet @S V S is better at explaining this... I'm not an attorney.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 5, 2020
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  12. anticupidon

    anticupidon Ancient Guru

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    Talked with some friends about this subject.
    In the midst of the discussion one joke was tossed around.
    Here it goes:
    A guy goes to a street girl and asks for her tariff. They agreed upon it and went to a motel to seal the deal.
    The guy finishes after only 2 minutes and starts arguing:
    "Look so and so, I finished earlier, you have to give me back some money"
    The street girl retorted: "Why would I do that? We agreed on a tariff, I am still here and you can take advantage of my skills"
    The guy mildly angry:"Yeah, but I finished and can't do anything about it, you have to give me back some money!"
    "Oh yeah? the street girl said.
    " If we are talking about money and details of the deal, you should pay me more for accepting a ugly bloke, no hygiene whatsoever and finishes prematurely. So we are even, no, you still own me some cash!"
     
  13. DannyD

    DannyD Ancient Guru

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    Wages down 10%, but Quality of life up %20, i know which i'd choose.
    And it's not just the job, but the people you do that job with, the people in charge, and the people you serve.
     
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  14. :rolleyes: hmmm....o_O heh-heh ok ;)

    Fair enough; the two don't have to be mutually exclusive though. Quality of life & reduction in pay :)
     
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  15. AsiJu

    AsiJu Ancient Guru

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    Answer is still no and for the same reasons, how the question is asked doesn't matter.

    Others above made good points too.
     

  16. Loobyluggs

    Loobyluggs Ancient Guru

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    So, we're all whores?
     
  17. Loobyluggs

    Loobyluggs Ancient Guru

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    Depending on the work involved, but, if a computer setup is required, then the cost is increased for remote support and of course, equipment.
     
  18. Loobyluggs

    Loobyluggs Ancient Guru

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    Not disagreeing here, but as mentioned, part of your mental calculations will always include the logistics of getting to the place of work, and looking presentable (one would assume) when you get there.

    Let me put it like this: at what point does the distance matter to you? 10 miles, 20, 50, 100?

    At some point you are going to either move to work at the place you want to, or, bite the bullet and rationalise the distance as being 'off-set by higher salary via negotiation'.

    All about what you can get, for whatever lower QoL you personally factor, or deem, to be important.
     
  19. Clawedge

    Clawedge Guest

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    i started working from home, and it is AWESOME

    No office politics, no traffic, not getting ready, wake up late, cats keep me company.

    And yes, i have also worked with no pants on....

    and touched myself during work hours.. HEY WHO HASNT OK. DONT JUDGE ME.
    .

    .
    .
    . i get lonely.
     
  20. Clouseau

    Clouseau Ancient Guru

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    Yah, some of the points made above are good points but are still coming up shy of what is meant by the question. One's time is worth something. How much value is set to it is up to the individual. Say there is a choice between two employment opportunities. Say the only factor that is different between the two opportunities is the commute. One commute, one way, is 90 minutes the other 30 minutes. When salary negotiations occur, if the individual does not take into account the expenses involved regarding the commute; auto repairs, gas mileage, and the amount your time is worth, how can one actually evaluate the salaries offered. Argument sake, the opportunity with the longer commute is 3,000/year more. Is that extra 3,000/year worth the longer commute. Why is that company even offering 3,000/year more?

    Businesses are aware that if the overall employee base has a longer commute to get to the office, they have to offer more in terms of salary and perks or any combination thereof to attract and keep talented employees as compared to other places that have a shorter commute time. Now take the commute out of the equation. Employees have the choice to work from home. The businesses that had to take into account the commute time to attract and keep talent, no longer have to take that commute into consideration when offering employment to an individual. They will in fact be offering less to new employees whether they choose to commute to the office or not. There is the pay cut. One will not even know that it was a pay cut to begin with. The second one changes companies, you will be being offered less than would have been offered before the whole work from home concept became a choice.

    The places that did not need to factor commute into the salary equation will not be affected but will be affected by the new factors that individuals will measure remuneration by. So for them, an actual increase could actually be. What ends up happening is that the base starting salaries for positions could increase. Pre-existing employees will be paid the same regardless whether working from home or not. What those new factors are is what I see this thread being about. Employers will just no longer need to take commuting into consideration when making an offer. The only new decision companies need to make is how large and of what caliber of an in-office staff is needed. Overall, there will be no change in pay because of these new factors. No pay cut should be accepted.
     
    Last edited: Aug 5, 2020
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