What to do if…
your employer changes your pay, hours, or other terms of your employment

What to do now

1. Ask for the change in writing with an effective date. Ask for a document or email that states:

   • what is changing, such as pay rate, schedule, job title, duties, location, bonus plan, commission plan, or benefits
   • when the change starts
   • whether it replaces anything you previously signed or received
   • whether it applies only to future work

2. Collect the documents that may control your terms. Put these in one folder:

   • any employment agreement you signed
   • your offer letter and later amendments
   • any bonus, commission, equity, or incentive plan documents
   • the employee handbook sections the employer is relying on
   • any handbook acknowledgment, arbitration agreement, noncompete, confidentiality agreement, or severance document you signed
   • if you are union-represented, the collective bargaining agreement and your union contact information

3. If pay is changing, protect the pay record.

   • Ask the employer to confirm what rate applies to work you have already performed.
   • Track your hours, schedules, pay stubs, commissions, bonuses, and written notices.
   • Covered, nonexempt workers generally must receive at least the applicable minimum wage and overtime when required.
   • If earned wages are reduced, withheld, or calculated in a way you do not understand, contact your state labor office or the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.

4. If you are union-represented, contact your union now. Tell your union representative what changed, when it starts, how you were notified, and whether you were asked to sign anything. Changes to wages, hours, and working conditions may need to go through the union, so ask whether to file a grievance or raise an unfair labor practice issue.

5. Reply in writing that you are reviewing it, not accepting yet. Keep the message short and factual. For example: “I received the proposed change on [date]. I am reviewing it and would like the written terms and effective date before I respond.” Save a copy.

6. Write down anything that looks targeted or retaliatory. Note dates, names, witnesses, what was said, and what changed. This matters if the change followed a wage complaint, discrimination complaint, medical leave request, injury report, union activity, or other protected activity.

7. If the employer says “take it or leave it,” slow the decision as much as you can. Ask, if possible, for a short deadline extension to review the documents. Before signing something that waives rights, changes pay, adds restrictions, or affects your ability to work elsewhere, try to speak with a worker legal aid clinic, a local employment lawyer, your union, or another qualified adviser.