Should I agree to enter into a variable pay rate agreement?

Question

I am paid hourly for finance services and most of my time is charged to clients through time-billing. Roughly 15-20% of my time is not charged to clients but is for necessary administrative tasks which isn't unusual for other employees in finance and accounting. My boss wants to pay me a lower hourly rate for my time which isn't charged to clients and adjust down my pay when clients don't pay their bills, something I don't have much control over. I've already had my hourly charge-out rate increased by 20% and have been insisting for years that our admin staff take initiative to handle much of the admin work I end up having to do. I'm not a partner or shareholder in the business sharing in the profits or commercial risks of the business and am not paid performance bonuses. Do you think this arrangement my boss is proposing is fair, workable or even sensible from a business management perspective?

Answer 1

This may not be the answer you want to hear, but you articulate yourself very well and seem to be very business-savvy--sounds like you might need to branch out into your own business doing this! Your boss trying to pay you less or making you hustle to get a fair payment rate is not fair. You can probably make more on your own, a lot more! If you must stay working for this man, threaten to quit or leave if you don't get the wages you want, and I bet money he'll give you what you want!