Can he do this?

[kat2206]

Hi, I have put this post in "Law" but not getting feedback so hopefully I will get some from Chatterbank please?

A few weeks back I posted a question on here and I have taken the liberty of copying the body of the text below but now things have escalated at work that the boss has decided to lower our salaries considerably without any negotiations nor meetings, this has been done purely through email. We havent received a new contract stating the lower salary and the the boss is thinking of implimenting this immediately. Can he do this? I was subjected to incredibly absuive emails from him yesterday when I questioned him about a customer. As pointed out in the body of the previous text below, I havent been employed by the company for more than a year however surely there is something that I can do, surely theres a legal "loophole" that what he is doing is completely wrong?

Body of text from previous questions -

" Myself and my colleague are both sales reps for the same company, to carry out our job we need a car, mobile and laptop (to be able to work from home/do quotes etc).

Our boss is a law unto himself and took our laptops away 4 weeks ago to have necessary software installed on them, he emailed us on Friday night and again on Sunday to advise that if we dont start to bring in more orders by the end of July then staff cut backs would be made swiftly. However, we cant carry out our jobs without having the laptops in place to be able to do these said quotes to then convert them into orders.

[mccfluff]

so where are your laptops and how are you receiving emails?

[Greedyfly]

I am pretty sure he cannot reduce your salary without a contract and a good reason for it. See a solicitor if he's that bad. Are you in a union?

[kat2206]

The laptops are still in the office, about 3 hours drive away and we are having to use our own personal email addresses to send and receive emails which doesnt look at all professional and we also dont have the software on them to be able to send quotes out. He wont allow us to go down to the office to be able to use the office computers to send quotes so really our hands are tied.

[kat2206]

No unfortunately its a very small family run company with no union facilities

[mccfluff]

i'm having a bit of trouble here, he won't let you go to the office?? how are you supposed to get your laptops back.

i would suggest from acas get some advice and go down there find out what is going on

[Greedyfly]

Did you keep the emails he sent you?

[kat2206]

He said that he will send it back when hes ready...

[Greedyfly]

As said before either seek legal advice via solicitor or ACAS

I had to do something similar last year again when I worked for a small company - they are fairly useful. I found CAB more useful in the end though.

[kat2206]

Yes, I have kept them all...

[Greedyfly]

Then ring ACAS and seek legal advice it's free

[kat2206]

Just spoken to ACAS and basically the boss can do what he likes, the only way I could do something "legal" against him is through sexual discrimination...

If I had been there a year I could take him to tribunal through "setting us up to fail" i.e not allowing us to have our tools/laptops which would then be classed as bullying..

I think this having to be employed a year before you have any legal "support" is pretty disgusting really.

[Greedyfly]

Similar situation to mine. I was made redundant after being employed for only a month (after this person had asked me to leave my job of nine years). It was at the time I good move for me. Obviously not now. I was made redundant, never paid and basically left in a really bad spot at christmas. All I could do was take him to court, which I tried to do and I am still dealing with it now after 8 months!

[Greedyfly]

My advice would be to look for a new job as this guy sounds like more trouble than he is worth.