My wife accepted a job at this pay rate and then they reduced it

[dtrlanp]

My wife recently took a position at a local State University. She accepted a 10 month position with a yearly salary paid out in even installments at the end of each month. They offered her the position and verbally told her her yearly salary. When she went to work her supervisor gave her a written note that detailed what her monthly salary would be for the first 8 months of employment to get into the school fiscal year. She was then sent a letter from the President's Office with a formal salary offer with the normal yearly salary on it and what she would be making for the first 8 months. Two months later she was given a written note from her Supervisor that they had made a mistake on the salary and they were reducing the salary by $1,600 over the next 5 paychecks. This was done to prorate the positions salry over the fiscal year. The reduction would show up in her next 5 paychecks. So it boils down to they offered her a position at one salary and then two months into working there they said they made a mistake and were reducing it by over $1,600. Is this legal? We have talked with HR, and the administration and they have apologized for the mistake but cannot do anything about it. They say they are sorry the Supervisor did not do a good job in explaining the salary to new hires. Any Advice?

 

[cbg]

The only thing I can suggest is that she take any documentation she may have to a local attorney and see whether or not it is legally binding. But to be honest with you, I wouldn't hold my breath. In the absence of a binding contract to the contrary, an employer may legally reduce wages as long as they give you whatever advance notice is required under your state law (in most states, that can be the morning of the day the new wage goes into effect as long as it's before you begin working).

Also, since you say this is a state university, it's quite possible that the salaries for many if not all positions are mandated at the state level, and the university has no power to change them. If that is the case, and if they did indeed make an error in what she was initially told, they would HAVE to make the reduction.