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Comment by pojzon | Hacker News Reader

That not always help but for sure will backfire at you.

Im writing next part as a parent of two.

We have in team people who take multiple days off due to taking care of children, often not even counting it as taking a day off. Management doesnt care and expects people who do not “exploit” their privilages to do work for 2-3-4 people.

Its also not the way to go, but any comment about that is a hard “stop being so selfish”.

What to do in such a situation? Start doing the same to make company bleed money while frozen?

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Dear boss,

My team is really struggling with the challenges that have come along with this global pandemic. Everyone is doing their best given the situation, but we aren't able to deliver the same level of productivity on a consistent basis. Can we setup a call to discuss adjusting expectations and shifting workloads in order to keep everything running as smoothly as possible?

Sincerely,

pojzon

There is an email template for you.

Sure. Just provide us with level of pay cut comfortable to you with respect to your reduced commitment

>Well then, direct the anger at those who do the telling or the requiring.

I will remind you that this is what kicked off the conversation. Forcing a pay cut on people who can't reach their normal level of productivity is a perfectly reasonable choice. To do it during a global pandemic if the survival of the business is not on the line is a choice that lacks empathy and compassion, but it is a choice that management can make. At least then it will be clear who is at fault for the decision. Refusing to do anything and letting your employees fight about it amongst themselves due to your own lack of management initiative is a cowardly way to lead.

I’ve never seen it work the other way: “we had to let go of someone so you have to do the work of two people, here take 50% of their salary.”

So why offer such a thing to management?

"Sure thing. I'll take a 0% pay cut, reflective of the market rate for someone with my skills and experience. I'm taking a few weeks of PTO starting today to look for a new job in the meantime in case this isn't tenable. Thanks."

(Then you load up the "Who's Hiring" thread from last week on this site and line up a few juicy offers)

> Management doesnt care and expects people who do not “exploit” their privilages to do work for 2-3-4 people.

Out of curiosity, why is "just don't" not an option. You do what work you are capable of, maybe push a little harder because we're all pushing a little harder, and that's that. Things don't get done because there's less manpower doing it (people taking time off for kids; people taking time off for sickness; people working less efficiently because they're now working on the kitchen table etc).

Everyone takes a hit because of covid; that includes parents, non-parents, AND companies.

If a standard work day is 8 hours and management expects you to do the work of 4 people then I'd argue that the company is already bleeding money.

Honestly, this is why labor unions could help even highly-paid occupations such as software engineering. There needs to be something to serve as a counterweight to management, especially during economic downturns when finding a new job is more difficult.

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