Boss wants to cut marketing worker's pay to save money: 'I’d go from about $1000 a month to $200'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
May 2, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

Generally, in your working life, you might expect that, as you gain experience, skills, and knowledge, you'll be making more money… throughout your career as well as your time in a singular role. 

Where you might not be too surprised and even expect to be rejected a request for a raise or two, you'd never expect to have your boss approach you telling you that they're slashing your pay in order to get "more bang for their buck." Openly telling you that they're going to be saving money solely at your literal expense. While you might appreciate them for saying the (usually) quiet part out loud, you're not going to appreciate the disrespect and the hit to your paycheck.

This boss had the audacity to approach their marketing coordinator to tell them that she was slashing their pay. They shared their account of events with this popular online workplace community, venting their frustrations. The only silver lining here is that at least it was their side gig…

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  • 01
    "[My] boss is decreasing [my] pay because she wants "bang for [her] buck."
    via Campaign Creators
  • 02
    Boss is decreasing pay because she wants a "bang for the buck" Hoping for advice on how to quit / need my confidence built up to tell my boss where to shove it TLDR I make $25 an hour doing marketing. My boss now wants to pay me $25 per post I make (about 8 a month) because she "wants a bang for the buck." I'd go from about $1000 a month to $200
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 03
    I have a full-time job that doesn't pay too well (classic) and so I have my side gigs. This boss is from one of those side gigs (I do marketing for her and HER side gig...) I started as her assistant when I was only part-time at my current full-time job, so I basically cobbled together a 40 hour work week. Then I got the opportunity to go full time so I took it, and we worked out that I'd do 10 hours a week (during off hours) making
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 04
    marketing content for her and her side business. Seemed like a good solution, I get to make money and work for her (she has a cool business) and she doesn't lose me (which she said she didn't want to do) Her side gig is by far more organized than her main business, so my efforts have been mostly geared towards that. Then she said I had to focus more on her main business and limit to 3 hours a week for the other. That's fine, but it
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 05
    doesn't mean im not gonna work hard and get the tasks done that I need to for that business (basically, she asked me to report 3 hours even though she knew it would take more than that...) Ok, fine. Water under the bridge cause I'm young and just want to make money (I could still do and report 10 hours so whatever)
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 06
    Then she sprung on me during a meeting that they were going to shift my payment to a "pay per post" model. The successful marketing posts I create will get $25 which is the rate I make per hour. Trying to keep me to an hour per post, that's reasonable.
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 07
    What's UNREASONABLE is that my boss and her side gig's partner are disorganized and one post does not take 1 hour after all of the back and forth, meetings, scheduling, creating and recreating. I've been having to take time during the work day to get stuff done for her. I did the math and I'd effectively be making about $10 an hour.
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 08
    I am feeling very done with her. She is taking advantage! I wouldn't have minded the pay per post model if she were organized and that had been the agreed upon model when I took the job. Now I'm getting I because she "wants a bang for the buck" (what she said to me when explaining why the payment shift)
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 09
    So I'm quitting. How do employers make decisions like that, to disadvantage the people working hard to make their business run smoothly? Gas me up, tell me I'm not wrong. Quitting this week.
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 10
    Peachy Keen31 · 12 hr. ago Tell her no. That isn't how you operate. Your fee is $25 per hour. If she cannot accommodate that, you resign. Immediately.
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 11
    Poozor What's involved in a post for your job? 8 posts in an entire month seems insanely low. With the new pay rate she thinks it's reasonable to expect one post per hour. 51 Reply Share ImpressiveStand1503 OP. It is insanely low! As a marketing person, it doesn't take me an hour to make one post so it does seem reasonable when you put it that way. It's THEIR disorganization, lack of direction, last minute changes of mind that make each post about a 10 hour per week job. It's frustrating for me
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 12
    Chilled MonkeyBrains1 Side gig or not, organized or not, this is a shitshow, and you'd be foolish to do anything but quit. So yeah, you're not wrong and if your leaving creates a chaotic situation for her, that's entirely her doing and totally deserved. Run, don't walk. I'd say quit without fanfare. And unless you need the cash, there's no point giving notice or taking steps to ensure a smooth transition. Don't even let her offer a compromise. What she's done is disgusting, exploitative, and mon
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503
  • 13
    Zueter Just tell her you're not doing that arrangement. Why? Because it doesn't work for me. That's really all the reason you need. If you want to be clever or something, I want buck for the bang.
    via u/ImpressiveStand1503

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