My husband is a skilled engineer and has worked for a small company for ten years. The company hasn’t been doing very well recently and they’ve told him that his sickness allowance has been halved and he’s to have eight days less holiday this year. He’s worked hard to get these increases; can his employers take them away just like that?
As a general rule they are not allowed to vary the terms of your husbands contract without his consent. But the firm may be able to successfully defend measures required to keep the firm afloat. If the firms directors are also showing signs of belt-tightening your husband may have to accept temporary changes, but he should make it clear that they’re for a limited period only. His holidays can’t be cut below the statutory minimum of 28 days.