Dawg Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Today the management team was told that in order to get our quarterly bonus this winter we would have to cut the hours of our employees down to 6 to 7 a day. Right now they are getting anywhere from 10 to 15, depending on which department they are in. To me that is wrong. These people have bills, children, families........LIVES! I feel like it will be robbing them out of their money that helps them take care of their lives, just to get the full bonus. Am I wrong for feeling that way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kat Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 no your not wrong, your VERY respectable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesse8953 Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Most management, don't care about who suffers, to get what they want.It is wrong! If it wasn't for the workers there would be no production,no production-no management jobs! I would be p.o.ed to know I lost money so others could profit.Moral would go down and so would the product quality. I think there should be no bonus if others have to suffer.jmo from a production worker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Wait, you're saying you guys work from 10-15 hours a day? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted June 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Wait, you're saying you guys work from 10-15 hours a day? Yep, even now the uppers want us to limit it to 10 but there are some who get up to 15 hours. Not every day is a 15 hour day but one or two days a week are. Most are between 10 and 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaun_300 Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Sounds ridiculous to me. Cut their hours in half, half the pay, to get a bonus. Or work the full amount and not get a bonus. It'd have to be a darn big bonus to come out good in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Corey, you'll have to go into more detail. I've worked some weeks in years past that pushed 100 hours and was happy to get every hour of it. I have also worked long hours that I hated. I guess it depends on the nature of the work and your workers. You'll have to go into more detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted June 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Sounds ridiculous to me. Cut their hours in half, half the pay, to get a bonus. Or work the full amount and not get a bonus. It'd have to be a darn big bonus to come out good in the end. It's a set amount we get IF we meet certain measures they have in place. Hours is something they started pushing last year and will be pushing us to cut them more this year. The bad part is, I'm not the only manager on the team, we are measured as a team not as individuals. So even if I don't do this, the team leader will. I don't feel one bit comfortable doing it and am considering talking to the uppers about it but I know what the answer will be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted June 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Corey, you'll have to go into more detail. I've worked some weeks in years past that pushed 100 hours and was happy to get every hour of it. I have also worked long hours that I hated. I guess it depends on the nature of the work and your workers. You'll have to go into more detail. Not sure what you are getting at here John? My problem is having to tell the employees in my department that come October, they will be only working 6 to 7 hours a day and will be sent home. The upper management has said that is what I, along with the other managers, will have to do in order for us to get our full bonus.......cut employees hours to reduce cost, just to get our (management) bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newarcher Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 I like you, don't know you but I really like you. Keep in mind that there are things which you have to do that you have no choice over. This isn't your choice or call to cut the hours so you have to do what you have to do. If you don't they will just get rid of you and find someone else to do it so standing up and bucking the system will not change anything. I think that if you explain the changes to them like you did us, your people will understand and appreciate your honesty. p.s. all of this feedback is null and void if you happen to be my boss...then you just SUCK! New Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swohiodave Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 It is awful to think but the business is in place to turn a profit. Are they wanting to cut hours to turn more profit or stay open. Can the business survive with the guys working less hours? It is goo to take care of your guys but make sure who dont burn yourself in the process. You can't do your employees any good if your on upper managements &%$^ list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted June 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Could the business stay open without cutting hours? Put it to you like this, in 2008 I moved to MS to open a 3rd distribution center for them. I was there for almost a year to help it get up and going. There are 4 stores in MS 3 are 2 years old, 1 is less than 2 months, with more in MS to come in the near future, one in Memphis TN that is less than 2 years old,with talks of 2 more stores in the Memphis area, 2 in the Houston TX area that are about a year old, there is talk of a 4th distribution center being opened in Houston. We are the 24th largest plumbing supplier in the nation. All in all we service all of LA, East Texas, most of MS and a corner of TN. IMO, yes they could make it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Corey I'm not sure of exactly what your guys are doing, but my point is that sometimes guys depend on OT as part of their income and sometimes folks just have to sacrifice their homelife for the company for a little while when things get busy. Personally in the automotive parts business I would love to see our guys get over 40 for the first time in about 9 months. We are struggling to keep great folks working in the 36 hour range without a layoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Corey I'm not sure of exactly what your guys are doing, but my point is that sometimes guys depend on OT as part of their income and sometimes folks just have to sacrifice their homelife for the company for a little while when things get busy. Personally in the automotive parts business I would love to see our guys get over 40 for the first time in about 9 months. We are struggling to keep great folks working in the 36 hour range without a layoff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orion_70 Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 I'm not sure if they're used to OT, but if you started limiting that now, there wouldn't be a need to cut the hours later. I'm not sure what business this is though but it needs a better time management plan. Kudos to you for thinking/protecting your team! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted June 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Corey I'm not sure of exactly what your guys are doing, but my point is that sometimes guys depend on OT as part of their income and sometimes folks just have to sacrifice their homelife for the company for a little while when things get busy. Personally in the automotive parts business I would love to see our guys get over 40 for the first time in about 9 months. We are struggling to keep great folks working in the 36 hour range without a layoff. That's my point, these people are relying on OT now to get caught up on their finances from when we were slow. Very few of them are complaining now but when our slow season gets here (which by the sounds of it, this year might be slower than last year) and we have to cut them back to 6 hour days, there's gonna be problems all over. Especially if some of them find out the mangers are still getting their bonuses because of it. Come winter there will be no OT at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texastrophies Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 You said it is going to be the "slow season", I understand paying the overtime when you are busy and the people are being productive, but why on earth would the company pay people overtime if they are not working and not being productive? Surely I am missing something here, are you basically suggesting that the employees get paid for 10 - 15 hours when they only doing the work that should be done in 6? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 I'm not sure what business this is though but it needs a better time management plan. Kudos to you for thinking/protecting your team! What I was thinking. Nobody likes a layoff/reduced hours, but also 80 hour weeks aren't great for families either when it's for a really long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawg Posted June 11, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 (edited) You said it is going to be the "slow season", I understand paying the overtime when you are busy and the people are being productive, but why on earth would the company pay people overtime if they are not working and not being productive? Surely I am missing something here, are you basically suggesting that the employees get paid for 10 - 15 hours when they only doing the work that should be done in 6? No, they aren't getting paid for 10-15 hours when they are only doing the work that should be done in six. Right now we are working 10-15 a day because there is enough work to allow that. During our slow season we still have enough for them to do for at least 8 hours a day. These folks get here at 8 in the morning and aren't walking out the door until 8 sometimes 10 in the evening, some even later at times. There are other things that are being shoved aside (housekeeping, stock maint. etc.) because even now we have to get them out the door asap. If we began to cut hours now, it would affect our "production". I know 80+ hours a week is hard on a family, but like I said before, there are very few employees complaining about it now because they need the OT. If some of them wanted to reduce their hours we would find a way but they don't and we really can't stand to lose the hours. My whole point, and I feel some of you are over looking it, is this, I was told I had to cut their hours or I wouldn't get a full bonus which is something I can live without, it's nice getting it but I don't have to have it. In other words I was told I had to rob them out off their money in order to get mine. That is wrong. Edited June 11, 2010 by Dawg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDAWG Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 I've been a retail manager for over 18 yrs and unfortunately things like this happen. Just remember the one constant in any business is the workers and the one thing that changes is the management. Just make sure you don't put yourself in a precarious position and hurt yourself in the end. Sometimes, it is very difficult to manage those decisions, but you have to do what you are paid to do and that is help the company make profits. I have felt this way many times in my career. It sucks, but the way you feel makes you a human being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redkneck Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 I've been a retail manager for over 18 yrs and unfortunately things like this happen. Just remember the one constant in any business is the workers and the one thing that changes is the management. Just make sure you don't put yourself in a precarious position and hurt yourself in the end. Sometimes, it is very difficult to manage those decisions, but you have to do what you are paid to do and that is help the company make profits. I have felt this way many times in my career. It sucks, but the way you feel makes you a human being. Very well stated Jdawg! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m gardner Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 If you need to cut hours and then push the workers to do the same amount of work in less time all I can see is trouble on the horizon. Quality and safety will certainly suffer. Right now our new business model is basically supplying product on an emergency basis because no one wants any inventory. The owner knows better than to rock this boat in these hard times. Everything needs to go off without a hitch and having happy employees that can trust you are essential. Violate that and give them something other than their mission to think about and the system collapes. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom wayman Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 corey ..i like ur thinking here buddy.but the other guy has a point to about ,they may cut u,like the one said talk to your people n let them know it's not ur choice it's the big guys .maybe they will understand.i know one thing i'd be damn proud to have u as my boss.[if i could still work lol] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kat Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Corey, I get what your saying. Alot of the 40-50 hr a weekers just can't fathom a 80 hr work week. I have worked this pipeline gig a few years and understand the whole seasonal thing and the winter slow down. These folks should learn like I have to put back for the slow down and not live outside their means. I am laid off 4-5 months a year and I don't get behind. I just bank about 75% of what I make during the work season to make it through. Now as for your dilema, I don't think it's right that upper management is cutting hours just to get their bonus. If it's to save money, or help the company thats one thing, but to fatten your pockets is totally different. Your a good leader/manager for feeling that it isn't right. It may be the way it works out, but in the end it's not right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted June 11, 2010 Report Share Posted June 11, 2010 Don't think you are wrong Corey, but understand the management side of it from cost production going to overtime. If the company is spending too much on overtime they may have to cut elsewhere(those bonuses). Think it is good business to work with your employees though and think it is great you are concerned about them, too many managers nowadays could care less about those who work for them. That said, got to also understand we are still in a struggling economy, a lot of people are not getting work, if those people working the 10 to 15 hours were cut back to a 40 hour work week would it hurt them? Don't know the company you work for or how they operate, but before the company might mandate cuts, you might look at asking if you have any folks volunteering to cut their hours to normal work week. With whatever, would not base a decision on how to manage when it impacts your workers lives based on a bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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