Got a pay cut

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AfterBurners

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I'm working on an IT project for IBM and got a 15% pay cut. Not the best news, but at least I'm still working. This is across the board and it seems a lot of the other IT contractors are having a hard time with it stating a class action. I mentioned what's done is done. One guy responded don't get a job as a rape counselor. I'm like thinking to myself whatever. What they need to keep in mind that working as a contractor you are "AT Will" and very disposable. Guess they haven't been through what I've been through. I go to work everyday thankful to be working, but have NO expectations. I'm not leaving until I have something better lined up and preferably full time with benefits. They need to get a reality check and accept that's just the way it is. I don't like getting a pay cut, but like I said I'm working and that's better than collecting unemployment.
 
Isn't it disappointing that one can go to work with no expectations... I really miss working on something that I hope will make a difference (to someone, anyone). I guess ya just gotta "lean into it".
 
Being a rent-a-head myself, they pay for you like light bulbs and toilet paper. The plus side is you owe them NO loyalty and they pay you no benefits. If you are really lucky, your house will have unemployment deducted for the state you work in and send you W-2's. I kept re-negotiating every six months until they laid us all off. I agree it's better than NOT working and I think you have a mature attitude. You're right-you've prolly seen a lot more than the new kids on the block. Keep on chooglin', brother!
 
Isn't it disappointing that one can go to work with no expectations... I really miss working on something that I hope will make a difference (to someone, anyone). I guess ya just gotta "lean into it".

I really don't mean it in a negative sense, just meant to say that as a contractor you're not guarantee anything. All you can do is show up to work and do what's ask of you. IT is always outsourced as it seems to be the case.
 
Being a rent-a-head myself, they pay for you like light bulbs and toilet paper. The plus side is you owe them NO loyalty and they pay you no benefits. If you are really lucky, your house will have unemployment deducted for the state you work in and send you W-2's. I kept re-negotiating every six months until they laid us all off. I agree it's better than NOT working and I think you have a mature attitude. You're right-you've prolly seen a lot more than the new kids on the block. Keep on chooglin', brother!

Being a contractor is a "Life Style" if I'm between contracts collecting unemployment I look at as paid vacation until the next project. Working for different companies exposes you to a vast range of technology and sometimes can prove to be valuable on a resume.
 
At this point I would gladly trade in the frequent admiration people express when I tell them I'm a freelance writer for a steady gig.
 
Sorry to hear that they cut your pay. Hopefully you can find something better.
 
I'm fairly sure that the folks that used to work for Hostess (Continental Baking) a few years back wished that they hadn't demanded a raise.....
As you say, at least you are still employed. I hope that what you continue to earn takes care of the necessities. I took a pay cut once as a temp worker between real jobs. I know we didn't enjoy it in the slightest, but were glad there was still something coming in.
 
I'm fairly sure that the folks that used to work for Hostess (Continental Baking) a few years back wished that they hadn't demanded a raise.....
As you say, at least you are still employed. I hope that what you continue to earn takes care of the necessities. I took a pay cut once as a temp worker between real jobs. I know we didn't enjoy it in the slightest, but were glad there was still something coming in.

well said
 
you're not guarantee anything

As an employer I can tell you that the concept of job security is just that, a concept. As the employer you learn to live with what I would describe as a never ending sense of doom.

I have been an entrepreneur most of my life with stints of working for both small and large companies simply to save more money, get a bit of stability, and figure out my next venture...no wealthy relatives to pay the bills. My current company is well established, well diversified, and so is the revenue, however we have both picked an industry (IT) that is notorious for having a short lived life-cycle when it comes to trends and skills, and the value of your knowledge and training. The IT industry is one of the most dynamic industries out there, and if you don't continually think ahead looking for trends as well as train in that direction, then you get left behind very quickly.

One of the things you have working against you as an administrator or support person, is automation. Robotics is very integrated into IT today and something we invested into heavily, at a relatively early stage. This has allowed us to manage a lot more assets with a lot less manpower. During the early stages changes like this allowed us to make more margin, however these advantages run their course fast, and today it simply allows us to continue to be competitive.

I wish you well
 
I'm fairly sure that the folks that used to work for Hostess (Continental Baking) a few years back ...
Ahh, yes, 2012. I wasn't one of those folks but they were only about 2 miles down the road from home.
Boonville bakery has closed its doors
By Edward Lang, Managing Editor
Posted Nov 16, 2012 at 12:01 AM
The Boonville Hostess Brands Bakery, also known in the community as Butternut Bread has closed its operation. All Hostess facilities are in the process of closing at this time as the company prepares to liquidate the company. Around 80 employees are now without jobs in the Boonville area, 18,000 nationwide. Hostess Brands released a press statement Friday morning.
https://www.carthagepress.com/article/20121116/News/121119174
Though the numbers sound far apart, 80 jobs do make a difference in a town of a little over 8,000.
 
Ahh, yes, 2012. I wasn't one of those folks but they were only about 2 miles down the road from home.

[

Thankfully, my father in law retired from the Wonder Bread bakery (Akron, Ohio) just a year or two before that all fell apart.

Hope all goes well for you. I've taken cut before and it's not always fun. Hang in there.
 
As an employer I can tell you that the concept of job security is just that, a concept.

The best corollary of that I ever heard was when a person stated they were looking for a "permanent position" the HR rep replied "There are no permanent positions - just long term temporary ones"
 
I took a cut when I moved from field manager to the office pool.
I lost my mileage, which paid for gas and oil changes.
I took me a few paychecks to redo the budget and make things work.
It wasn't all that bad once I got past the changes and settle back into a groove.
It was actually better. I worked a set number of hours, left the same time every morning, came home everyday at the same time.
Made the wife happy to know when to have dinner on the table.
When I worked in the field, I didn't know from one job to another, sometimes day to day, how far from home I was going, or when I'd get home.
Up until I moved into the office I lived on 3 to 4 hours of sleep a night.
I'm sure sorry you had a cut in pay, but from what you say, it sounds like you will weather it well.
Getting past the adjustment point is the hardest part.
 
Hope all goes well for you. I've taken cut before and it's not always fun. Hang in there.
Although I wasn't involved in the bakery I appreciate the thought and it does apply since my health collapsed around 2006 and I went from working to disability; that's a pay cut!
 
I worked in engineering over my career and had 4 job severances. Luckily, the last severance was close enough to be my retirement. It was always hard to change jobs and it often meant moving across country. I definitely agree, no matter how frustrating, don't leave a job until you have a better offer in place. There are many in this country that are resigned to seeing manufacturing jobs go overseas and drive large scale electric production by coal and nuclear power into the sea and replacing it with the dream of solar and wind power. No better formula can promote low paying service jobs in this country. The Japanese have low natural resources and yet they are the second largest steel producer in the world. There is no reason why we can't keep manufacturer jobs in the US. Yes, technology and software jobs are important, but software jobs are the easiest to ship overseas. Keeping manufacturing here will keep technology and software here, too.
 
Here in Colorado, ALL employment is at-will, not just contractors, so I totally get your feelings on this. You've got the right attitude, though.

I've been saving as much as possible, so if I can swing another 6-8 years of employment (time to get kids out of school), we plan to downsize everything and retire before 60. Hope it works out that way!
-Ken
 
Thankfully, my father in law retired from the Wonder Bread bakery (Akron, Ohio) just a year or two before that all fell apart.

Hope all goes well for you. I've taken cut before and it's not always fun. Hang in there.

Well Hostess going under has thrown my pension in the trash (work for a different bakery) They were one of the participants in my pension plan. When they went under the federal bankruptcy judge let them walk away from their pension obligations. Great news after 38yrs of service.
 
Pension?? What the heck is that? I've been working for only 28 years and none of the companies (from startups to large tech companies) has had a pension plan. If they're just no longer contributing, not a huge deal, but if they took away all that had accumulated for you, that sucks pretty bad!
-Ken
 
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