Would You Work For Free To Save Your Company?
I was interested to read this item on USAToday about British Airways’ grand plan to save money after posting a $595 million loss for the past financial year - asking employees to work for free. Head of the company Willie Walsh is leading the way by foregoing his salary for the month of July, though the gesture seems less magnanimous when you realise that his salary must be well over the million dollar mark.
Years ago, I remember getting quite irate when after delivering excellent work and being punctual and efficient for a whole month, I presented my paycheck at the bank and it bounced. That was just one month and the issue was sorted within a couple of days, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.
With redundancy and job losses affecting people in the travel industry and beyond, BA’s move of asking people to volunteer for a pay cut is perhaps better than the alternative. However very few of us can afford to work for less than we already do and no one is likely to be happy about it, a point made strongly by the union which represents BA employees.
What’s your view? Would you work for free to save your employer’s company?
June 18th, 2009 at 10:44 am
No, absolutely not. In fact, if I was asked to work for free because the company was low on funds, I’d immediately quit. Consumer have credit ratings and are denied credit on the basis of being a “high risk” and I have the same philosophy about companies. There’s no guarantee after working for that much time that they won’t file bankruptcy protection and leave you high and dry for at least two months of wages, because that’s how long it will take to make up the lost time. Meanwhile, you’ll end up with all kinds of late fees, credit dings, and the like because you had no income for two months. It’s not worth it, especially if you can work for yourself and bring in SOME income that is guaranteed. Seek a different opportunity if the company is so lame it can’t make payroll. Business is business, and charity is charity. You know? A job pays, a volunteer position doesn’t. Is it a job, or is it charity work? Or, worse, a scam? Want a job? Make sure you get paid. Everything else is suspect, in my book.
June 18th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
You obviously have strong views, Spiritwealth - thanks for sharing them. I get uptight about not being paid too.
June 18th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I might consider giving up a month salary to save a company –unless it meant that I wouldn’t be able to feed my kids that month or get evicted for not paying the rent…. It may be easier if you have a million dollar for the other eleven month……
Then again, as you know we are quit willing to risk more then a month income to try and find quality of life….. Keeping your job might be part of your quality of life
June 18th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Risking a month’s income to find quality of life is a good thing, especially if you have planned for it. However, I’m not sure about doing it at someone else’s instigation. As you say, in some cases it means cutting down on essentials, which is a difficult choice.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Given that I was laid off earlier in the year, I have to say that I absolutely would have taken a lower salary to keep my job and have steady income now. I was an exempt employee, however many of the hourly non-exempt employees were asked to work 4 days a week instead of 5. In the end many of them still have their jobs now, while I was blindsided and shown the door. Why keep me when I did a great job of training hourly employees on how to do my job as backups? While I cannot help but feel slighted, I also understand that it was all a business decision.
July 14th, 2009 at 4:57 am
[...] Would You Work For Free To Save Your Company? - it’s a tough question, but one many of us have had to answer [...]
July 24th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
No, no,no. Just like they wouldn’t pay me extra if I was really short on cash.
July 29th, 2009 at 8:10 pm
It depends but I’d say if the boss is making millions more than me I’d be motivated not to. Not if everybody takes a major pay cut or is working for free…maybe.
July 30th, 2009 at 7:17 am
Yes, Anil, I think an across the board approach might be persuasive, though the person earning millions still won’t feel the pinch as much.