Benefits being revoked by owner without any notice or explanation.

Anonymous

January 3,2024 at 1:36PM UTC

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Benefits being revoked by owner without any notice or explanation.

The owner of our company has decided to roll out a few changes in our employee handbook and is requesting signatures from employees by 1/5/2024 PM s there any way the employees can rebuttal these changes?

Switching from EOW Friday off to EOW half day Fridays. That’s 13 days per year less time off. Not to mention if you wanted to plan a long weekend previously you could use your Friday off and not take any additional time.
Enforcing time tracking with a timer and no ability to log time or edit time if you forget to start or stop a timer. We’re just starting to time track as of this week.
Computer monitoring language that allows the company to take screenshots every 5 minutes.

These things all impact our already low morale and company culture. We’re currently a 10 person company - within the past three months the owner has let go 5 people, we’ve hired one and are about to bring on a second person.

what are our options as employees? This is not illegal.

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April LineJanuary 3,2024 at 1:52PM UTC
Labor laws vary by state so you'd have to look into your state's laws to find out if it is legal, and as for what you can do in response, i would suggest buffing your resume and giving notice as soon as you get something else.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2024 at 2:06PM UTC
Your option as an employee is to find another job if you're not satisfied with this new time off update. You will have no influence on this decision.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2024 at 3:10PM UTC
And knowing people like this, if you say anything (irregardless how valid your point, management will make a bad example of you)
Sandy EarlJanuary 3,2024 at 2:06PM UTC
The owner is telling you that they don’t trust employees. Believe them. EOW (even half!) Fridays off is a nice perk you won’t get everywhere but it sounds like it’s coming at a pretty high cost. It’s also likely that the owner hopes to nickel and dime employees with clock in/out issues so you’ll not really get it as PTO.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2024 at 2:35PM UTC
A lot of labor laws don't apply to companies that small, so you are right that it probably isn't illegal. It's hard without knowing the industry, but I can say that a 50% reduction in force with two new hires doesn't look promising for the future of the company. Ensure your resume is current and start looking immediately. You need to make sure you take care of yourself. Your coworkers are all adults, and they are probably already doing this. You don't want to be left behind to clean up the mess if three or four of them quit.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2024 at 2:50PM UTC
Get out of your job ASAP. They are treating you like potential criminals and/or children. The 1/2 day Fridays stink, but I worked in a place where every other firm i knew people at had summer Fridays but ours; some firms are cheap and/or don't know or care that it's hurting morale. But the monitoring thing is a trust issue- get out as soon as you can. This company's culture now officially sucks.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2024 at 3:02PM UTC
ONLY Option is to plan a new place to work!!
New year brings a new beginning.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2024 at 3:07PM UTC
That small of a company and they aren't able to trust. Wondering the root cause on why it went down this road, tbh. Don't need to know, but yikes.
Debbie HaroJanuary 3,2024 at 3:39PM UTC
The employer legally has to pay you for your time. Every team that I’ve managed only allows for a performance improvement plan for habitual non-clockers. There is no way we could or should not pay people for their productive time.
Heather HaalandJanuary 3,2024 at 4:46PM UTC
Trust of ex-employees is 100% his issue and he’s unwilling to create a space to cultivate a positive culture.
maria roseJanuary 3,2024 at 4:52PM UTC
You didn’t clarify what kind of job situation or if the job has a union . If this is a job where you are hired for a position to work a certain amount of time and either get paid by a salary or an hourly wage. Any other benefits like PTO /vacaction pay / sick pay are just extras that fall under the “benefits “ category and are not necessarily mandated by law. You need to check your local labor laws to see what are designated as required to be paid pay beyond your paycheck. Not every geographic location has set labor laws beyond basic wage.. You are entitled to a pay check for the 52 weeks of the year but how many of those weeks are paid time ( time you are not working) is determined by the labor laws. If your employer has lowered the number of paid vacation days that they will pay per year, it may not be mandatory to have to pay for more.( by the labor laws). Usually with a union this is part of the negotiation that that changes one paid benefit for another. A lot of people don’t realize that if you have healthcare coverage through work, ( employer paid) that affects your other benefits. Rising costs are affecting everything and your employer only is required to pay only for what is designated by the labor laws in your geographic location. There are not many federal labor laws that cover details like this. Start by checking them , through your state’s labor department.
AnonymousJanuary 3,2024 at 6:36PM UTC
As the others mentioned, it's true, for us to help we need more details.
I work in the same kind of environment, (I also know that if they had benefits before, and now they don't, perhaps that is one way that they are trying to keep employees on and cut costs as well, maybe they got rid of benefits to refrain from having to cut more jobs there. Keep an ear open and just hang in there).
I am familiar with on-the-job monitors. The place I've been working for records every single phone call and every website I visit. I also have another job at a different place, and the cameras are running the whole time.
AnonymousJanuary 4,2024 at 1:30PM UTC
If the company is small enough, the owner can do whatever he wants. Is he trying to cut back on benefits in order to keep staff? You don’t have to agree with the changes, you option is is accept them or look for another job.
AnonymousJanuary 4,2024 at 2:23PM UTC
Are you all remote work or in person? If a bunch of people were let go and the owner is putting in place a stricter schedule and more rigorous time tracking and computer monitoring, it sounds like a case where some of your old coworkers were trying to get away with billing for work they weren't doing and unfortunately, the rest of you all now need to pay the price for it. Unfortunately, your best option is to start looking for a new job.
AnonymousJanuary 4,2024 at 6:08PM UTC
The answer is you can certainly give your opinion to them but it seems the decisions for these changes have been made and are being put into writing so that there is no confusion and that every employee confirms that they have been notified of these changes. The company is rightful in protecting their interests by having you sign those documents.
Something might have occurred that caused the owners to terminate people and make these changes that you may not be aware of that breached the business integrity. Focus on your own interests, do you want to stay there? If you do just keep doing your job and don't worry about new people learning about these things, don't poison their opinion. Focus on your success there and if you cannot see if long term find a new role. Change happens and unless you are the boss you don't really get to decide the changes but do have to learn to live with them.
AnonymousJanuary 5,2024 at 3:35AM UTC
The Owner had full authority to make these types of business decisions. Sign that you have received the notice.
TestE CullJanuary 5,2024 at 1:15PM UTC
Find another job and dont sugarcoat why in the exit interview. Some bridges need torched.
Mhairi DunnJanuary 5,2024 at 1:19PM UTC
If you can, get a new job. Good luck x
AnonymousJanuary 5,2024 at 1:32PM UTC
It sounds like there are unlining issues with the company and I would start quietly looking for a new job.
Jeni KolstadJanuary 5,2024 at 1:41PM UTC
The only one you are likely to gain any traction on is not being able to go back and log time if you missed starting the timer. Employers are required to pay you for your time worked. The other ones are all within the owner's scope.
And we gotta be careful about assumptions on the WHY these changes. Unless you have talked with the owner and heard the rationale, we simply just don't know. I'm in the process of putting together a new employee handbook with the help of an attorney because I didn't use an attorney to begin with. There will be a lot of changes coming for my staff and I'm certain they will not like some of them. But businesses learn and evolve with time and the employee handbook is to guide expected behavior at work and provide what happens if behavior does not meet expectations.
AnonymousJanuary 5,2024 at 1:58PM UTC
Find a new job. Not the best environment for growth and development. Yes, you can track time etc. But this is extreme and takes on a new meaning of micromanaging and not understanding that people and employees make your company. If you didn't have dedication from employees, they would not be in business... Basic concept.. Treat people the way you want to be treated and respected.
AnonymousJanuary 5,2024 at 2:20PM UTC
Perhaps the owner/management were prepared to lose their staff once the new handbook was sent.
Like many others have expressed, I would just start looking for a new opportunity :(
E CJanuary 5,2024 at 4:49PM UTC
I think you are on to something there. My employer is doing a horrible job with RTO, and treating staff very poorly. Poorly enough, in fact, that the union is involved. I think it's a way to get people to resign rather than have the bad PR of layoffs.
Heather HaalandJanuary 7,2024 at 3:45AM UTC
The owner has terminated 6 people (46% of the staff) since I started 3 months ago and hired one.
Morale is low. He will lose more very quickly with these changes.
Heather HaalandJanuary 7,2024 at 4:14AM UTC
please note: it is not a discrepancy that I said 6 in this reply and 5 above. He unexpectedly let another person go this week.
E CJanuary 5,2024 at 2:28PM UTC
The boss is either reacting to a bad incident with an employee or is paranoid that there will be such an incident. It's legal for him to do, just like it's legal for you to vote with your feet. Good staff deserve to be treated with respect.
Rosey Rosetty-WagnerJanuary 5,2024 at 2:46PM UTC
From everything I’ve been reading lately in progressing to a more humane work environment, this owner is doing the opposite. Companies with high morale are moving towards unlimited PTO because it boosts employee satisfaction, actual time off taken remains relatively the same, and a majority of metrics improves specifically quality of output.
More control over autonomous beings creates more hostility, especially in the workplace where we spend most of our time.
I also recommend looking for a better aligned position. Best of luck!
AnonymousJanuary 5,2024 at 10:08PM UTC
Unlimited PTO also means you don't have to pay out accruals when someone leaves.
Michelle HoughJanuary 5,2024 at 4:43PM UTC
The employer has the right to do what they choose, within the law. They are not doing anything wrong from that standpoint. You also have the right to choose where you work. If you do not agree then move on. Employers should not be held hostage by employees and feel like the only way to keep employees is to cater to their demands. Yes, there is a balance, however, the only bonus I look forward to every other week is my paycheck which I earn for doing my job efficiently and effectively. I do not need my employer to pass out warm towels when I exit the restroom. Employers have the right to set expectations of their employees. If you are doing your job then why be worried the system is validating your effectiveness. If you do not like the rules then there is the door.
AnonymousJanuary 5,2024 at 5:55PM UTC
GTFO ~ that’s all I got.
AnonymousJanuary 5,2024 at 10:08PM UTC
It's almost certain that the handbook has always included something that said "policies are subject to change." There is nothing that legally says you have to have Fridays off. The only way you would have legal standing is if your contract somehow guaranteed you that day off.
AnonymousJanuary 6,2024 at 2:57AM UTC
My company never gives us a heads up on benefit changes. Never asks a thing. It's "here's the new offerings........we did our best" please choose to take or let them by xxx date.
AnonymousJanuary 7,2024 at 6:08AM UTC
perhaps it’s time to find a new job?
I started a job 1 and half years ago; and this is the first time in 25 years that I have to pay part of my premium. I was actually told by the owner that he has never heard of a company paying for the employee full premium. He also will NOT let you file a WC claim. Had coworker fall at work due to her work space and they refused to allow her to file a claim and even had the nerve after working 1/2 of the day before the fall to actually dock her PTO time a full day. So I know exactly how you feel. I guess all companies have issues.
AnonymousJanuary 7,2024 at 2:45PM UTC
FYI… not allowing a WC claim and docking the employee for the fall is highly illegal.
Regarding employee insurance premiums, though, having the employee pay for a portion is totally normal for the majority of companies out there. It’s a big bonus that a company pays the full premium share for employees.