Pay Cut
By Jimbo45
@Ineeddentures (28773)
April 7, 2026 7:28am CST
If your employer asked you to take a pay cut would you agree to it?
So you are working away with an employer
And have been for many years and they come to you and say if you don't take a 20% pay cut you won't have a job anymore
What would you do?
I don't know what I would do.
I obviously wouldn't be happy
I would be worried because 20% pay cut would hit hard, maybe I would be poverty stricken
Employers shouldn't be able to just cut wages, should they?
Has this ever happened to you?
13 people like this
11 responses
@lovebuglena (51270)
• Staten Island, New York
7 Apr
I don’t think my wages were ever cut when I used to work.
2 people like this
@lovebuglena (51270)
• Staten Island, New York
8 Apr
@Ineeddentures That was a long time ago.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
8 Apr
@lovebuglena
So how long ago exactly did you last work.
Yvonne says I could give you a job here, looking after me lol
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (498862)
• Italy
8 Apr
@Ineeddentures - I remember that during Covid some companies proposed a pay cut to avoid to fire people. Only a few refused and they were those fired finally.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
Aye well I still wouldnt take a 20% wage cut especially if it meant I was going to earn less than the legal national living wage
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
9 Apr
@LadyDuck
I was glad I had packed in work by then
I would have had to give myself a pay cut Anna
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (206266)
• United States
7 Apr
I don't think so. I would be resenting coming to work everyday with a pay cut. The place where I was "working" last was almost as bad. They would have mystery shops that all different levels of responsibility with them, like recording them audially or something and try to pay as much as regular shop that didn't need a recording..How cheap...or maybe they would try to pay less than 100 for a video shop.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
I would really resent it
Especially if I had been a good employee and actually was proactive in selling and bringing money in
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (206266)
• United States
7 Apr
@Ineeddentures That's right, if they can't appreciate you, you can always take your talents elsewhere.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
@snowy22315
It's our friend Siobhan
It's happening to her
And she is about the best of the 8 employees the guy has
He is taking the piss
1 person likes this
@dodo19 (47969)
• Beaconsfield, Quebec
7 Apr
@Ineeddentures With those numbers, it doesn't make sense. Taking a pay cut is not something I'm very comfortable with.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34593)
• United Kingdom
7 Apr
@Ineeddentures I suspect that an employment lawyer would cost a lot more than 20% of your income! That's the catch.
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
Prices going up
Wages going down 20%
I would be finding an employment lawyer and making sure this wouldn't breach employment law
2 people like this
@Marilynda1225 (90149)
• United States
7 Apr
That's really hard to answer but it would depend on if it was permanent or temporary and if I could live on a 20% cut.
Guess I might consider saying yes and then look for something else that would pay better
2 people like this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
I would say no
And whilst they were trying to impose a 20% cut go get legal advice.
And find a new job
2 people like this
@Fleura (34593)
• United Kingdom
7 Apr
That would be very difficult, but I can understand why it might happen, especially when times are difficult, an employer, especially a small employer, might prefer to offer a pay cut, hopefully temporary, rather than lay off loyal staff and then have to re-hire people when times improve.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (34593)
• United Kingdom
7 Apr
@Ineeddentures That's very true but of course higher wages, higher employers' NI contributions, increased costs of absolutely everything (fuel, fertiliser, suppliers' labour and energy costs etc etc) obviously means that the prices we all pay for things will also go up, so may cancel out the benefit of higher pay. And it's always the people at the bottom (those on the minimum wage) who are worst affected because they have to spend a larger proportion of their income.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
@Fleura
I know
But as an employer you just can't go cutting someone's wages by 20% ecpeically if it takes the wage below the national living wage.
Imagine with all the increased prices having to live on £400 per week instead of £500.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
Aye
Good thing we have a minimum wage employers can't pay less than
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
8 Apr
I wouldn't
I would get my full wage for as long as I could but I would be looking for another job ,
Which if I got a new job I would be offside, no looking back
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (219190)
• United States
8 Apr
I worked for a company for 15 years and planned to retire from that company. They had me take a 30% pay cut after they discontinued matching our retirement contributions. They ended up going bankrupt so they could be bought out by another company. I was 62 and without a job. Fortunately I applied for disability and was approved in 6 months.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (219190)
• United States
9 Apr
@Ineeddentures Yup. And they took a lot of money out of the company by having the accounting company (the VP of the company was married to the accounting guy) bill as much as one million dollars for their services.
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
9 Apr
They ended up going bankrupt so they could be bought out by another company
That really does happen a lot
It's all a big cheat con
They don't care about people, just money
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
9 Apr
@LindaOHio
Happens here all the time
Fraudsters playing with peoples lives
Disgusting.
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (88136)
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Apr
I would say heck no....even though I haven't worked in 15+ years really
so I don't know how much 20% would really be
1 person likes this
@MommyOfEli2013 (88136)
• Rupert, Idaho
7 Apr
@Ineeddentures Both would be nice, but 400 is a lot diff then 500
1 person likes this
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
@MommyOfEli2013
Sure is.
For a 40 hour week £400 is £10 per hour
£500 is £12.50 per hour
@Ineeddentures (28773)
•
7 Apr
So say so earned 500 a week
A 20% cut would take you down to 400 per week
