We all know there’s no “I” in team. But if it comes down to being a “team player” or sacrificing your own wellbeing, most people might be inclined to pick themselves! Below, you’ll find a story that one frustrated worker recently shared on the Anti-work subreddit, detailing why he left a job after his employer attempted to drastically cut his pay. Keep reading to also find reactions from fellow Redditors, as well as conversations between Bored Panda and the employee in question and Adam Bennett, Senior Career Consultant at Career Prepare.

Being a team player is great until the interests of the group start to conflict with your own

Image credits: Sora Shimazaki (not the actual photo)

So when this man’s employer drastically cut his pay and pressured him to stick around, he decided the job was no longer worth it

Image credits: Nik Shuliahin (not the actual photo)

Image credits: LightFieldStudios (not the actual photo)

Image source: cjmaddux

Later, the worker responded to a couple of comments and provided more details on the situation

“Recognizing that there does not have to be a ‘bad guy’ for you to find yourself in a bad situation is important”

To learn more about this specific situation, we reached out to the star of the story, Reddit user Cjmaddux, and lucky for us, he was happy to answer some of our questions. First, he shared that he was inspired to tell the tale after reading other stories on r/Antiwork. “I feel like there are a lot of people that view posts on that sub, and that many of them may be in a similar position I found myself in,” he told Bored Panda. “At the end of the day, I hope that if that is true, those people can have the courage to stand up for themselves and negotiate in good faith with their own priorities firmly in mind.” Cjmaddux was also happy to report that he has a much better work-life balance now with clear boundaries. “My family life is much healthier as a result of my new position and hours.”

As far as whether or not he was surprised to see his previous place of employment close, he says that he was only surprised to see how quickly it happened. “There were certainly issues with the business already, thus the hiring of ‘consultants’,” he noted. “That said, not replacing me with someone of similar skill certainly reduced the possibility of weathering the storm by a significant margin. We would have likely made it quite a bit longer had I stayed.”

He also had some wise words to share with anyone out there in a similar situation. “I hope everyone can reconsider and recognize their worth,” he told Bored Panda. “Fight for both your value as well as your family. At the end of the day, a business owner has to look out for their business, and an employee has to look out for them self. Confusing those priorities will never end well. I had approached negotiations with my boss seeking either less hours while maintaining my annual compensation, or keeping my hours but making more to justify the loss of family time. I am glad I found a position where I get both less hours and more pay.”

And finally, he wanted to reiterate that his previous employer should not be villainized. “He was in an unenviable position, seeing shrinking margins and high overhead, and was desperate to save his family business,” Cjmaddux explained. “He had done many thing for me over the years, and I really respected the guy. Sadly, his solution to his business problems were not a fit for me and my family. I had to leave for my own good, and found something higher paying with less hours almost immediately. Sometimes these stories don’t have a ‘villain’, but rather just a poor situation. Recognizing that there does not have to be a ‘bad guy’ for you to find yourself in a bad situation is important.”

“It is not common for employers to request a pay cut like this in cash terms”

Image credits: Alexander Mils (not the ctual photo)

As we grow in our careers, many of us look forward to increasing our paychecks and working no more than 40 hours to make ends meet. With inflation rates hitting extreme highs in many countries last year, the idea of suddenly losing a third of your income might send you into an immediate panic attack. So despite the fact that this particular story took place years ago, it’s not surprising at all that this man wouldn’t stand for receiving a drastic pay cut. We wanted to learn more about how common, and how legal, this practice is, so we reached out to Adam Bennett, Senior Career Consultant at Career Prepare in the UK, and he was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda.

First, Bennett noted that, “It is not common for employers to request a pay cut like this in cash terms. However, with inflation and cost of living rises, many people are being asked to take real terms pay cuts, with smaller than inflation pay rises. Whether they are allowed to do it depends on the local laws and legislation. I’ve never known anyone accept a request for a significant pay cut – unless they are an extremely high earner, where pay is more commonly directly linked to the organization’s performance,” he explained.

“It is not an indication of a good company culture”

We also asked the expert what he would recommend someone do if their boss informed them of a pay cut similar to the one mentioned in this story. “If a client of mine received a request like this, I’d advise them to first fully understand the situation by asking questions,” Bennett noted. “What is the background? Can I see the figures? What will be offered in return? Most importantly – are you and the rest of the management team taking the same (or higher) pay cut? If not, then clearly they don’t need to save 30% of your wages that desperately!”

“Also they should do some research online to see what others in similar job roles are paid,” the career expert went on to explain. “Once they have the facts and understand the circumstances, if they feel it is unfair then they should definitely challenge the decision. Setting out the research they have done and including as many facts as possible – trying to remove the emotion from the situation. If this is done in person/by call, they should follow up by email to ensure everything is recorded.”

Bennett also noted that an experience like this can leave a bad taste in employees’ mouths, so they might not want to retain their employment anyway. “It is likely to be an indication that this is not an organization that they want to work for. It is not an indication of a good company culture – particularly the comment around being a ‘team player’,” he told Bored Panda. “Therefore, it is very sensible to look elsewhere.”

“Every circumstance is different, but you are not alone – speak to people about the situation, whether that’s a family member, friend, colleague or professional career coach”

Image credits: Van Tay Media (not the actual photo)

Finally, we wanted to know what tips Bennett had for workers seeking new employment that want to ensure they don’t find themselves in another situation similar to this one. “Anyone applying for a new organization should do their own due diligence before joining, to put themselves in the best position to avoid organizations with a poor company culture,” Bennett says. “I would encourage them to do three things: Research online, using sites such as Glassdoor to see what other employees say. Use their network, speak to everyone they know about the potential organization. The world is small and often someone knows someone who has worked at the organization. Speak directly to them if you can.”

“Ask questions about culture at the interview, for example ‘How do you ensure that you attract and retain the best employees?’,” Bennett continued. “Every circumstance is different, but you are not alone – speak to people about the situation, whether that’s a family member, friend, colleague or professional career coach.”

It’s unfortunate that some employers feel entitled to treat their workers poorly and guilt them into being “team players,” but thankfully, this story had a happy ending. We would love to hear your thoughts on the situation in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever dealt with a boss similar to this? Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article featuring an employee who quit after receiving a pay cut, look no further than right here! 

Readers applauded the man for standing up for himself and called out the former boss for his unreasonable proposal

Some were even inspired to share similar stories

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