This is contract law so it’s purely between the parties. There’s no statute on how much a reduction should be and common sense will not apply either. We’ve been advising clients that the law allows them to outright terminate employees with no benefits as the contract is frustrated. Some clients have been doing this and expect to be sued. The more humane ones - like your employer - are taking the reductio route and hoping the crisis abates. I would not be shocked if your employer decides to fire guys in the next few months.
It is very legal to fire staff because the employment contract is frustrated. It is within managerial discretion to reduce staff pay if they consider a frustrating event - that is one that could not have been contemplated by the parties when they signed the contract - has occurred. Technically an employer cannot normally alter your contract terms - including reducing salary - without your consent. But many are betting on the courts declaring COVID-19 a contract frustrating event. I work in a law firm and our salaries have been reduced and we’re all still working.
On the contrary. You can and will be dismissed while a court case pending. You can try to get an injunction to stop this but 99% of the time you won’t get it. And even if you do, the employer will still terminate as the most the court can award you is 12 months’ pay. And they can stI’ll appeal that and keep you waiting for 5 years or more.
spin off.
My employer was tabled a 30% salary cut . Immediately negotiated that;
[ol]
[li]I reduce my office hours by 70%[/li][li]The office facilitates my “Work From Home Office” i.e. internet upgrade, power backup, computing stuff, credo, basic furniture etc.[/li][li]Immediate payment of any/all pending and current leave days.[/li][/ol]
Worked well for both of us.
Egerton paycut is because of mismanagement, not Coronavirus. Other universities are paying. About the firing, well, if it were possible for an employer to fire you because you refused a paycut, wouldn’t they all be doing it?