In February, Wal-Mart announced a wage increase for 40% of its workers. But in September, a lot of workers found out the hard way how Wal-Mart plans to pay for those wage increases.
Wal-Mart slashed the hours of many of its employees, right around the start of the school season.
It makes you wonder: what was the point? For the lowest paid workers, getting a raise could make a huge difference. But if they can’t work the same hours as before, doesn’t the raise just get cancelled out?
Unfortunately, this is happening for workers all over my city of Memphis, Tennessee, and across the United States. Salary increases get a company some great press, and then no one hears about the single mom whose hours are slashed in half to pay for the raise she just got.
I’m not sure which one most workers would prefer – a higher wage or more hours. They both end up meaning the same thing: money to pay your bills and feed your family.
Too often, it’s a lose-lose for America’s lowest wage earners. At my Memphis bankruptcy law firm, I meet people every day who have steady jobs that don’t cover their mortgage or car payment. Some low-paying companies even help their own employees sign up for federal benefits! They know it’s nearly impossible to make ends meet on extremely low pay and/or extremely low hours.
So what can you do if your hours are cut?
If you find that you simply can’t pay the bills, you should call me. Every day, I help people in Memphis keep their houses from foreclosure, save their cars from repossession, and get out of credit card debt. We’ve built a solid reputation as a bankruptcy law firm Memphis, TN clients recommend.
If you’re scared of any of those things, you’re not alone, and you’re also not out of options.
Contact me today to discuss how bankruptcy might be a solution for you. The conversation is absolutely free.