If a company hires you for hourly pay and then hires a new general manager, can they switch you to a flat rate?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If a company hires you for hourly pay and then hires a new general manager, can they switch you to a flat rate?
I’m a detailer
Asked on December 7, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Washington
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Did you have an employment contract or union agreement that provides otherwise (i.e. that you must be paid hourly)? If not, then as an "at will" worker, your company can set the terms of employment much as it sees fit. This means that an hourly pay rate can be changed to a flat pay rate. Accordingly, you can either accept this change, complain or risk termination, or quit.
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Yes, unless you had a written employment contract specifying that you were paid on an hourly basis. If you had a contract, they have to honor it, and you could sue them for breach of contract if they don't. But if you don't have a written contract, you are an "employee at will" and your employer may change how you are paid--and also how much--at any time, without your consent.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.