Work Compensation/Contract Question

[MysticLlama]

A co-worker at the office here was just switched from a salaried employee to an hourly employee and was given a pay cut that would basically cause them to work 55 hours per week to make the same amount of money.

This obviously didn't make them very happy, and they'd like to quit, but there is a 1 year contract signed to work for the company due to the company paying for moving expenses.

This doesn't seem to me like it should force the employee to continue to work here as it's basically just free reign to pay whatever they feel like. Is that just something that the employee has to live with because of the contract, or will it not hold up.

I did a little looking on the wa.gov website (Washington State) but I can't seem to find the right sort of thing. Any thoughts?

 

[Yossarian]

Can't tell without reading the contract. If it doesn't specify that the position is salaried, or a certain pay per year, he may not have much recourse. Pretty sh!tty deal for the company to pull.

I had an agreement like that at my last job, but it was for 2 years. I quit after a year and a half and they pro-rated the moving expenses. It was well worth it to GTF out of there!

 

[MysticLlama]

Yeah, forgot to mention that, the contract itself is like one of those really small, non-inclusive ones. It doesn't have any real stipulations either way, but I would think that by nature of what was being offered originally having changed, it would have to be updated or something.

I guess I think of it as buying a car (listed on a separate contract maybe) on installments and then they just up and give you a different car halfway through, change the ownership papers and such, but leave the payment contract the same because it was generic enough to cover it.

(Not that that would happen with cars per se, as that's a refined process, but you see what I'm getting at I hope.)

I need to read it a little closer just to see if there are any accidental loopholes, but with short obvious contracts I don't see how there would be.

 

[GasX]

He can quit at anytime, but he may be obligated to pay the company back for the moving expenses if he quits early.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Tell your friend to hire a lawyer.

The law varies wildly from state to state. You need to hire someone who knows the law in yours.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Taking legal advice from non-lawyers on non-legal websites is inherently dangerous.

I can not stress this enough... ask a real-life attorney who is licensed to practice law in your state.

 

[MysticLlama]

Yeah, I'm sure that's what will happen eventually, I was just looking for general thoughts before that step.

That's what my first recommendation already was, I was just curious if everyone else thought it sounded as crazy as I did.

 

[DevilsAdvocate]

Originally posted by: MysticLlama
Yeah, I'm sure that's what will happen eventually, I was just looking for general thoughts before that step. That's what my first recommendation already was, I was just curious if everyone else thought it sounded as crazy as I did.

Those "general thoughts" may be wrong. Really, really wrong. Please, do not follow any legal advice that you get here.