Can my employer legally cut my rate of pay without giving me notice?
Most employers can legally cut their pay rate if you have gone from a ‘full time’ position to a ‘part time’ one. You may find that they consider it to be a completely different job, and therefore have started you on a lower pay band or something. They do not have to give you notice, although if you have worke there 4 years, and this is how they treat you, then walk the hell out.
Absolutely. You are most likely an employmee at will. As such, you may be fired at any time for any reason, including a false or “made up” reason. Of course, you weren’t fired, but if they can fire you, they can certainly do anything short of firing–such as reduce your pay. One of the above responders suggested that you can’t have your wages reduced until you sign a new contract. If you had an old contract, that might be so. However, if you are like most people in the U.S., you don’t have a contract. (If you are part of the .0478 percent that does, you’ll want to read your contract). The only rule about pay is that you have to be paid minimum wage, and in accordance with applicable overtime rules. (There is actually an argument that you were paid improperly for the one pay period since you got no notice of the pay cut. This would be on the same theory that some courts use to award persons who are fired without notice one or two weeks pay. Not a common outcome, but it happens. But you
No. Under employment legislation, an employer must inform you if they are reducing your pay or making any deductions from it. They are not allowed to just take the money. Your new job may be at a lower rate of pay but they still must inform you. Contact your payroll department and ask them why you have received less money and then speak to your manager. As they have not informed you, you are entitled to receive the deficit back until you have been told that your rate of pay has been reduced.
If you have 2 jobs, one of them will be at a higher tax rate (because all your personal allowance is being used up by your first job). So all the money you earn in the 2nd job will be taxed at the normal rate, without any allowance. But they can’t cut your hourly rate, unless you signed a new contract that stated the lower rate.
