If there was a misunderstanding aboutmy rate of pay, what canI do about it?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If there was a misunderstanding aboutmy rate of pay, what canI do about it?
My boss said I agreed to an $8 pay cut when he took over the business. I never saw the paper he claimed he showed me and I thought we were talking about how many hours a week I work. Now he says it was my fault for not paying attention during our discussion. What can I do? It turns out to be about a $300 loss for me.
Asked on November 11, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Illinois
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
Did you have an employment contract, guarantying you a certain rate of pay? If not, then your employer is entitled to cut your pay whenever he wants--employers are free to set the terms and conditions of work, including hours and pay, at will; they are also generally free to teminate employees at will (unless there is a contract to the contrary), which means they may take steps short of or less than termination--like reducing pay.
So if you have a contract, you may enforce it's terms; otherwise, regardless of whether you had discussed it previously, or you had agred to it, your employer may reduce your pay.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.