Thread regarding Sabre Holdings layoffs

Voluntary Salary cut outside of the US

What are your thoughts about the voluntary nature of salary cuts for all non US employees. If you were asked to give up a percentage of your salary would you do it?

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| 3232 views | | 15 replies (last March 26, 2020) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+148I0a1x

15 replies (most recent on top)

Why should I even consider sacrificing personal finances for the company that will probably lay me off just after the pay-cut/unpaid vacation finishes?
So far, nobody really stated that it won't happen. All information are quite vague.

One clear statement though is in US severance packages description - the higher in the hierarchy you are, the bigger remuneration multiplier will be applied in severance packages. It's really discouraging to be asked to chip in for those huge bonuses.

Offer regular employees 6-month severance package and you'll get your savings.

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Post ID: @2gps+148I0a1x

"It would be selfish and of poor character to not volunteer for a temporary pay cut."

Yeah, what other virtues would you like to lecture us about? Getting bankrupt over medical bills?
Sorry, it's 2020 in Europe.

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Post ID: @2qbl+148I0a1x

What happens if too few non-US staff volunteer for pay cuts?

I know only US employees can have forced involuntary pay cuts, because the weak employee rights in the US (Texas particularly) has already allowed those pay cuts, but how much of the forced involuntary layoffs will be in the US versus outside the US?

People have mentioned that we need to focus only on core system stability with no new work. Is most of that work performed inside or outside the US?

If Sabre gets a bailout from the US government then I guess that would be conditional on Sabre not laying off US employees. I guess then Sabre could only lay off non-US employees unless other countries also give Sabre local bailouts conditional on Sabre doing no local layoffs there too. If Sabre gets enough bailouts then they wouldn't need to lay off anyone.

It's a pity the the US is not following the Danish or German coronavirus layoff prevention plan that ensures that no employees get laid off at all there.

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Post ID: @1yfl+148I0a1x

For anyone in this situation with any company operating outside US:
1) You don't have to say yes unless you feel comfortable with the terms of cut in writing.
2) Terms could include the cut is temporary and either time boxed (6 months), or request to reassess and re-approve pay cut and associated terms once every 3 months until crisis over.
3) For future layoffs after a pay cut, need to calculate redundancy pay and notice period at original salary before this cut if the worst happens.

No company can really mandate a pay cut in most countries outside the US for reasons lawmakers decided on to protect workers; that's why every company in the UK, for example, is asking for it to be voluntary. You have rights so ask for fair terms; don't forget it often more expensive to lay you off than to agree to your ask on terms for the pay cut.

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Post ID: @1xpf+148I0a1x

Agreed, even with the new 2020 budget alignment we couldn't support operations at adequate levels
For whomever is left at Sabre, it's going to be a very rough 2nd half.

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Post ID: @1nps+148I0a1x

At some point yiu just cannot lay off any more people and still be able to function. Some critical system teams are already operating with far fewer people than they need to be able to operate safely and effectively. Those teams have a huge problem even when someone goes on a planned vacation.

Similar to the adage about how 1 woman can make 1 baby in 9 months but 9 women cannot make 1 baby in 1 month, it's not a good idea for 1 woman to try to make 9 babies in 9 months. That would be a really bad idea, octomom not withstanding. At some point there's a limit to how much 1 person can do, safely and effectively. Maybe things will be smooth sailing for a while, but eventually problems will compound, then everything will go pear shaped, the person will quit, and you'll have a huge problem that nobody can solve.

So, when the layoffs come. Don't be stupid. Choose the people wisely based on the coming 12 months. Tech transformation is on hold for a while. Ot doesn't matter how exciting it might sound to rewrite everything. We don't have the resources for luxuries like that right now. It's essentials only for the next 12 months at least. Cloud developers are a dime a dozen and there will be plenty of time for all of that again in a few years. But if the core essential people are lost, then the company is done, that's it, turn out the lights, finito.

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Post ID: @1yya+148I0a1x

We know the temporary pay cut is permanent right?

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Post ID: @1lfi+148I0a1x

All these salary cuts make no sense to me. They should just let people go.
Why no severance for non US employees?

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Post ID: @pov+148I0a1x

It would be selfish and of poor character to not volunteer for a temporary pay cut.

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Post ID: @lwh+148I0a1x

Peer pressure. I work to make a paycheck, not to help a billion dollar company that spends themselves cash poor. This is what savings are for, emergencies.

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Post ID: @hvm+148I0a1x

it's sound like emotional blackmail ;-)

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Post ID: @bwf+148I0a1x

The most honorable thing to do right now is to take the paycut at the same rate with our US counterparts. We are all in this together.

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Post ID: @rqn+148I0a1x

What about severance for non US employees?

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Post ID: @kii+148I0a1x

What about us employees too

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Post ID: @isp+148I0a1x

If??? I believe you have already been asked through all those executive emails. And it seemed quite clear that if people don't take paycuts, there will be more headcount reductions than otherwise needed.

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Post ID: @qak+148I0a1x

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