Is it okay for my employer to cut my pay because I decided to cut work hours to part-time?
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Is it okay for my employer to cut my pay because I decided to cut work hours to part-time?
Asked on December 29, 2011 under Employment Labor Law, Virginia
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Yes, it is legal for an employer to cut an employee's wages. That is so long as doing so does not violate existing company policy, the terms of a union agreement or an employment contract. Also, such a decrease can not be the result of actionable discrimination (or retaliation) against an employee.
The fact is that in an "at will" work arrangement, an employer has a great deal of discretion in setting the conditions of employment. And a pay cut is such a condition. Bottom line, an employer can decrease an employee's pay for, any reason or no reason at all.
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