# the x mas pay cut



## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

ill start off by saying i had every chance a man could ask for when i started in this trade but i didnt really believe i could end up in this shape....the last few years i have tried to be serious about my job and its future..this year we got a 10 % pay cut,for x mas,boy is that gonna hurt. if this trade gets any lower on the pay scale it wont be a job itll be a waste of time,,


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## paul d. (Jul 13, 2008)

zen, its tuff out there right now. are you resi only ? you might have to re-locate. any other training available ? better start exploring other options. good luck. paul


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

What pay range are you in?

Is there any chance that you could open your own shop??


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

A 10% pay cut sure beats what you'd make if you were collecting the few bucks your unemployment check would give you for 6 months to a year. 

Just be happy to have a job. 10% just means a few less dinners and suppers out, planning your errands so you're not running around burning up your gas all the time, shop with coupons, turn the heat back a couple degrees, skip happy hour, start buying off-brand groceries, etc. You can make up 10% (or more) pretty easily in cost-cutting at home. Thank your boss for the pay cut instead of a layoff and carry on. :thumbsup:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

thats easy... just cut your production by 10%

~Matt


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

TOOL_5150 said:


> thats easy... just cut your production by 10%
> 
> ~Matt


 That is exactly what I would do.:thumbsup:


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

william1978 said:


> That is exactly what I would do.:thumbsup:


something tells me you would do that even if you got a 10% raise...

so, we cut production by 10% and next christmas we get a pink slip because the company is out of business...good thinking lawnguylandsparky....


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

I think you might be a apprentice. Nothing wrong with that. Sometimes hard to see the forest for the trees though. Things are really tough around the country right now. There are people that would jump at the chance to work for whatever you're getting paid. If a lot of companies are highering in your area you might consider going over to them but I'd very much look at do you like the people you work with? Do you like your company(besides the pay cut)? Are you working pretty steady? How old are you? Would getting a college degree be a good idea? Nothing is easy. You need a plan then you gotta stick to your guns.


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## Mike D (Sep 16, 2008)

You can always tell who runs a company and who does not around here.


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## zen (Jun 15, 2009)

thanks for all the replies.if i thought my boss was jerking me around id quit as soon as i got to work monday,,but i dont believe he is,so ill be trying to find ways to cut cost...im not sure in what area to work on ..1 the amount of work i get done per hour,,if i get more done that would save as well as mqke money. 2 find better product/material to use that cost less,,but basically we use what is most avaliable and sometimes thats savings enough. 3 find better ways to wire houses and trim them out..this one isnt gonna be easy because our methods come from time tested trial and error...still im sure something can be improved on..ill see if i can save us 10% in each area and hope for the best,,,,,,,,,i am very thankfull to have a job


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

oldman said:


> so, we cut production by 10% and next christmas we get a pink slip because the company is out of business...good thinking lawnguylandsparky....


Have to agree with oldman again and I do not own a company.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

TOOL_5150 said:


> thats easy... just cut your production by 10%
> 
> ~Matt


Thats easy ..........


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## manchestersparky (Mar 25, 2007)

10% ? Like Marc said better then unemployment.
I've heard of guys OFFERING to take 15 to 20 % just to keep their jobs!

I say if your employer is upfront and honest hang in trhere, that 10% could come back two fold in the future


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

oldman said:


> something tells me you would do that even if you got a 10% raise...


 Nope you are wrong.


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

william1978 said:


> Nope you are wrong.


:sleeping:


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## Paelectrican (Mar 2, 2009)

TOOL_5150 said:


> thats easy... just cut your production by 10%
> 
> ~Matt


Well that is one childish way to go about it! Feel bad for your employer during good times or bad, it's clear you don't value your job!


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## amptech (Sep 21, 2007)

Many years ago, during the Carter years when interest rates topped 20%, my employer was struggling and business was tanking. We did a lot of agriculture work and the FEDs had the PIK program going where they paid farmers not to grow corn. Work just evaporated here over night. I went to the owner and negotiated a reduction in my pay to help keep him in business. A few years later things really turned around and we were busier than ever. My employer never forgot my part in making things work during the bad times and I was paid back many times over what I gave up.


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## Bob Badger (Apr 19, 2009)

amptech said:


> I went to the owner and negotiated a reduction in my pay to help keep him in business. A few years later things really turned around and we were busier than ever. My employer never forgot my part in making things work during the bad times and I was paid back many times over what I gave up.


Good for you, that is how I would want things to be. :thumbsup:


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## RIVETER (Sep 26, 2009)

*Pay cut*

You have to be in this trade both for the money and because you love it. If the money is too low and you don't love it enough, then you must look elsewhere. This is a trade that suffers from the necessity to cover most everything. The customer wonders why we make money and he cannot see what we did... even if it is subconsciously. 
If you are satisfied with your production then trying to do more will not happen. If you want to do more, and can...it is your responsibility to do so.


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## rivermanchris (Dec 27, 2009)

Sometimes you have to make tough decisions when trying to keep a business, In business! 

It is bad times for most people right now, all we can do is hope the future gets better.


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## Mastertorturer (Jan 28, 2009)

If you can't make money as an electrician then you're not an electrician. You're a technician. Guess what. Technicians are a dime a dozen. 

You can teach people to install lots of electrical things. You can teach them to "troubleshoot" stuff. That don't make you an electrician. If you're not constantly increasing your skills and knowledge in every aspect then you're a technician.

Read everything. Look for the most complicated/highest paid electrical work there is. Try to be that guy and then you won't be out of work. Those people who work hard and strive to be the best are never out of work. 

If you wanna make a buck tugging wire and slapping switches on walls guess what. The world tells you what you're gonna do and how much you will be paid. Not the other way around. 

Don't be a technician.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

oldman said:


> :sleeping:


 Wake up oldman nap time is over.:laughing:


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## Grimlock (Aug 4, 2009)

I think most employers hate to have to do things like what you have described. Most hate to have to lay people off too, they know how it effects the families of those they employ. I don't know why most employees think their employers are money hungry heartless people. Most people are inherently good people, even (most) employers. They may have to keep it all about business in order to keep their systems moving smoothly but they do "care" about those they employ and their families. I think the pay cut was in order to keep as many of their employees working as they could with out having to pull the ax out around the holidays. I would rather take a pay cut then a pink slip. At least you can look around for a higher paying job while working if that suits you, your employer will already know that that is a potential reality and shouldn't take it personal if you lay a 2 week notice on them shortly after the pay cut. Best of luck.


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

william1978 said:


> Wake up oldman nap time is over.:laughing:


:sleep1:


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

oldman said:


> :sleep1:


 Wake up.:laughing:


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

william1978 said:


> Wake up.:laughing:


:drink:


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

oldman said:


> :drink:


 :thumbsup: I'm glad you woke up I was starting to think you were dead.


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

william1978 said:


> :thumbsup: I'm glad you woke up I was starting to think you were dead.


nah, i was busy looking for my hip waders...****s getting deep around here....


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

oldman said:


> nah, i was busy looking for my hip waders...****s getting deep around here....


 :laughing: That don't happen around here does it?:no:


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

william1978 said:


> :laughing: That don't happen around here does it?:no:


in the middle of looking, i found a mirror and got distracted though....


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

oldman said:


> in the middle of looking, i found a mirror and got distracted though....


 That always happens when I start looking for something. I always end up finding stuff that I was looking for a long time.


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## egads (Sep 1, 2009)

Age induced attention deficit disorder?

http://www.cartalk.com/content/read-on/2002/06.15.html


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Paelectrican said:


> Well that is one childish way to go about it! Feel bad for your employer during good times or bad, it's clear you don't value your job!


Its clear you didnt take it as a joke.

It was a joke...

~Matt


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## ceb58 (Feb 14, 2009)

zen said:


> thanks for all the replies.if i thought my boss was jerking me around id quit as soon as i got to work monday,,but i dont believe he is,so ill be trying to find ways to cut cost...im not sure in what area to work on ..1 the amount of work i get done per hour,,if i get more done that would save as well as mqke money. 2 find better product/material to use that cost less,,but basically we use what is most avaliable and sometimes thats savings enough. 3 find better ways to wire houses and trim them out..this one isnt gonna be easy because our methods come from time tested trial and error...still im sure something can be improved on..ill see if i can save us 10% in each area and hope for the best,,,,,,,,,i am very thankfull to have a job


That's the best attitude to have. You dont know as your boss may have taken a 20 -30% him self just to keep things going. The only thing that I could suggest is nudge the owner into expanding into other markets.Commercial, industrial. In today's market it is hard to stay alive just doing one aspect of the trade. The exception would be something very specialized that there are few that can do that type work.


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## BryanMD (Dec 31, 2007)

zen said:


> 1 the amount of work i get done per hour,,if i get more done that would save as well as mqke money.
> 
> 2 find better product/material to use that cost less,,but basically we use what is most avaliable and sometimes thats savings enough.
> 
> 3 find better ways to wire houses and trim them out..this one isnt gonna be easy because our methods come from time tested trial and error.


truth is there is almost nothing an employee can do on any of these points. The materials and the methods are what they are. Any (of the VERY VERY few) ncost savings to be found are up the food chain from where you have any influence to change things.

the root of the problem is that your boss has been charging too little and doing so for too long. He's stuck with builders and GC's used to his "we'll make it up on volume" pricing.

Unless they start up a 3000 home tract development next month the odds are your boss will out of business before next June. 

If he (and you) can't find something other than no profit low wage resi tract work to do then he (and you) should probably look into some other work or some other location altogether.

As to middling measures like pay cuts... hshould probably just bite the bullet and close up now but is too stubborn and won't listen to his accountant and lawyer.


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## sparkysteve (Jan 23, 2007)

I took a 10% pay cut Sept. 1st of last year. It sucks. I just keep telling myself that it's 90% more than zero. There are definitely people with it worse than me. However, I wish they would have just cut my hours 10%. Same pay with less time involved.


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

manchestersparky said:


> I say if your employer is upfront and honest hang in there, that 10% could come back two fold in the future


Or now that he knows he's got you by the balls, he may just cut it again.



oldman said:


> nah, i was busy looking for my hip waders...****s getting deep around here....


That seems to happen every time you post. :laughing:


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

John Valdes said:


> Or now that he knows he's got you by the balls, he may just cut it again.


 There are several contractors around here that are doing that exact thing. The company that I work for keeps telling that there will be no raises for anyone and some of the guys haven't had a raise in 3 years and heard the other day that the raise freeze will be going on for maybe 2 more years.


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## oldman (Mar 30, 2007)

John Valdes said:


> Or now that he knows he's got you by the balls, he may just cut it again.
> 
> 
> 
> That seems to happen every time you post. :laughing:


what are you trying to say?:whistling2:


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## BuzzKill (Oct 27, 2008)

amptech said:


> I went to the owner and negotiated a reduction in my pay to help keep him in business. A few years later things really turned around and we were busier than ever. My employer never forgot my part in making things work during the bad times and I was paid back many times over what I gave up.


I'd do that to; I'm terrible about company loyalty. I've gotten screwed but more often than not, loyalty pays off.


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