Employers walk a tightrope if they seek to cut salaries

The recent sight of RTÉ seeking to reduce the wages of its highest-paid presenters is a reminder that contract law can make this a problematic area

Dee Forbes, director-general, RTÉ. The broadcaster is seeking salary cuts from high-earning presenters. Picture: Maxwell Photography

Dee Forbes, RTÉ’s director-general, announced late last year that the broadcaster would seek salary cuts from high-earning presenters as it tried to overcome its financial difficulties.

RTÉ is not the first employer to find itself in this position. Indeed, any Irish business may find itself unable to maintain salaries at existing levels.

So, what options do employers have in this situation? The first and most fundamental point to note is that if the employee has ...