Job Advice in Michigan,is This Legal What My Employer Has Done?

I do not know Michigan law, but know law a bit. I would guess they probably pay you more than anyone else there and are trying to find a way to cut you/your hours to save money. It is unfortuately happening in so many areas. Since you have been there the longest of all employees I am sure you were folding the laundry correctly before or did they just notice? Do you have a union? Call them. Look up the state website for labor laws. I do not know if it is a violation of your civil rights there or not, it is just violating the right of being a human with a job-an all too sad story these days.

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i think that stephanie said it really well. as far as i know if you are part time to begin with they probably have a right. if you were full time, maybe a different story. check it out.

You can always call The Department of Labor with any questions, or look online. Just go to www.dol.gov.

Are you an "At Will Employee." You should consult your personnel policies and procedures manual to see what you are required to do if you have a grievance. If you are an At will employee and can be fired without cause, it is likely that the personnel policies may address lay offs and reduced hours as well. In the short term, you may want to make sure that you are doing an excellent job folding the laundry and any other tasks that might be assigned to you. When individuals have seniority experience, it is expected that that individual knows the ropes and expectations of the company. It is perceived that the Senior individual will make sure that the other employees do a good job by the example that they set. I don 't know if someone with less senior status is complaining that they are folding the clothes the same way you are or just telling that you aren't doing it correctly. You haven't really said anything here that sounds like you have a legal remedy. You haven't stated that you have been discriminated against based on age, race, gender, or religion. I haven't heard anything here that sounds like a civil rights violation. Does the company conduct performance evaluations? If so, where is your performance rankings/evaluations falling? You also did not mention if you are part of a Union. If so, you may want to seek advice from the union steward and check the union contract agreement for the grievance process there as well. I hope this information helps.

God Bless,

S.

If saying you are not folding the laundry right is just some sort of ruse, you might have a legal problem with them. But how would you prove it? Does your immediate superviser agree that you aren't folding it right?

I'm not an attorney and I don't live in your state. But it sounds to me like they have every right as an employer to decide who gets part-time and who gets full-time hours.

Were you full time before hand ? Has everyones hours been cut or just yours? Are you bumping heads with someone who works there ? Remember, you are there the longest, you are probably getting paid the most, and when they cut hours it would be more profitable to cut someones hours that makes a lot more money, however not right it is. It sounds to me like someones being a jerk, and you should bring it up to hotel management. If they give you the run around, don't even mention it to them but write corporate and let them know what's going on, go on up as high as you have to to get an answer. Don't be afraid to put the heat on, sounds like they are being unfair. The whole " not knowing how to fold right " is a ridiculous excuse, they could have come up with something better. If you were unable to do your job they wouldnt keep you at all.

I am not sure of the laws, but I believe as long as they are paying you for the hours you work, they are okay. The 30 minutes should be for a given break and that is probably law. They must give you your breaks after working so many hours. Are they giving you 15 minute breaks in those 5 hours as well?

I stand corrected, unless you are under the age of 18! Take a look. http://www.michigan.gov/dleg/0,1607,7-154-27673_32352-117...

I know this does not help that much, but in California when I was cut from 40 hours per week to 24 I was told by an attorney there is nothing that I can do about it. That the employer can do whatever it wants to in that realm/scope of employment.

If you read the papers you signed when you first started they are basically a contract between you and the employer stating what your job title is, your responsibilities are, your hours and your pay. Typically this paper or one of these papers also states that the employer has the right to make changes at will to any of the above.
In many places you have to clock out for lunch after 5 or 6 hours. That is labor laws. They are required to give you a half hour lunch break after that amount of time. If they won't let you work through that then I would definitely be making sure I get a half hour break.
If you are the longest employer and you have only been there 8 months that leads to some questions all on it's own. Why is the turn over rate so high? Are they not training correctly? Or are they having trouble staying afloat?

Having worked for Marriott in college, I know that American workers know their labor rights much less than people who immigrate here.

My sister was managing the Housekeeping department of a large property outside Washington, D.C, and when low occupancy required fewer employees and fewer hours, her staff staged a sit in to get their 32 hours/week.

Virginia is a work-at-will state, too. As is Indiana where, I currently reside, and that means that employers often don't need any cause and are protected by the law.

Your best bet right now is to contact a Labor Attorney and the state's Department of Labor to see what your rights are.
My industry is going through a major restructuring. People are getting laid off by the tens of thousands. I was one who was laid off last year (having a baby and cancer did not protect me from being laid off).

Good luck!

Since you wonder if it's a civil rights thing, I guess that means you are thinking they are cutting your hours and supervisory position because you are a minority. Are you the only minority there? Since you've been there longer than the others, I doubt that this has anything to do with your race. It most likely means that they are not happy with the job you are doing. They wouldn't have hired you in the first place if they didn't like having minorities work for them.

Being an "at will" state pretty much means they make the rules and can let you go if they want to. Mareellen, instead of being angry that you aren't getting what you expected, go to them with your mind and heart open, and ask why they don't see you as a supervisor any longer. Choose the most appropriate person to talk to - someone who you feel will be honest, yet kind. This is a good opportunity for you to learn what you are doing wrong. It's not surprising that you haven't had a review in 8 months. Usually you don't get one for a year, and that's for full-time.

Show them that you want to improve - really try hard, and let them see how hard you are working to perfect what you do. Don't have a bad attitude - all that does is make them think they've made the right decision. Once you have changed their minds as to your value to the company, you may be surprised at how things change. Meanwhile, you have plenty of time to look for another job. If you do go elsewhere, leave on the best of terms - write a letter telling them you appreciate having worked for them. A good recommendation in this economy and job market is worth its weight in gold.

Good luck,
D.

They can doc your pay and hours at any time. It happened to my husband and me and my brother in law in the last year because companies are suffering. I'm glad they reduced my pay instead of laying me off! Companies are required by law to have the employees take scheduled breaks after so many hours. You should be punching out for lunch. As far as the evaluations go, there is nothing required by law. If you don't like your job, find a new one.