These are difficult economic times, and however hard you work, you may find that your company is no longer able to afford to employ you full time. This can be a devastating blow, and can affect your mental wellbeing, as well as your sense of corporate fulfillment.
This can be even more distressing when you have worked for a company for a long time and look on them as family. It is only natural to be concerned about your financial wellness in this scenario, especially in a time when most of us are living from paycheque to paycheque. There are a few different ways to respond to the news that your hours have been cut, however, that help you to remain in control of the situation and to make as many positives out of the situation as possible.
The first thing to ascertain is whether this cut is temporary or permanent. Sometimes a reduction in hours can be a temporary measure to help the company recover from some sort of financial blip or change in schedules. You must ask your boss whether or not these reduced hours are expected to be an ongoing thing, or whether they foresee being able to restore your initial hours, and within what kind of time period.
When you hear of a reduction in your hours, it is also natural to blame yourself, and so it’s vital to find out whether your boss feels that your performance has dropped in recent months. It is natural to become more casual about a job after working there for a period of time, so check with your employer that no bad habits have crept in that could have caused your employer to decide they need less of your services.
On the other hand, in order to convince your employer that they really need your services, you could offer to take on additional responsibilities. This will prove your work ethic and also your value to the company.
