I’d disagree about bargaining. If Alice finds a better job she should take it. I doubt the office manager is going to allow special cases - then everyone will want full hours. The worst case if for them to take her back, and then, after a month or so, cut the hours even more.
Plus, I doubt the office manager doesn’t know who pissed off everyone is, which is why the message was communicated in such a crummy way. The only way they’ll change it is if everyone leaves - which might not be so easy.
I don’t think it hurts Alice at all to tell them why she’s leaving if it comes to that. I also don’t see a problem with her discussing wanting her benefits back with them now - she’s ready to walk anyway, so she really doesn’t have anything to lose.
I was busted from 40 hours to zero hours a week.
She has something to lose.
I’m sure the doctors told the office supervisor to make budget cuts. They’ll let her play the heavy and let the staff hate her but the requirement to cut came from them. They could have fired a few people and made everyone do more work.
Make up the difference by stealing office supplies! 
Seriously, what everyone else said. The letter would be far more likely to create negative results for you than positive. Reason enough not to send it.
Is the letter the first notice you had of this change? There certainly is no reason you should not be able to ask for an explanation - probably first of the manager, and then when not satisfied or the doctors. If the principals willingly slough off all such problems to the manager, then that probably is not a place you really want to work for the long run anyway.
If your questions are not answered satisfactorily, start an aggressive job search ASAP. But DO NOT QUIT until you have a new job offer.
By the way - could you get me any of those fine-point rollerball pens with blue ink? 
In some cases like this, the employees at the top of the heap claw themselves back onto solid ground. That’s just a fact of life, sometimes the squeeky wheel gets the grease. **Alice **can judge whether that’s worth pursuing in her situation.
Brazil is right. This is an issue that needs to be negotiated orally. I’d send the boss an e-mail saying you would like to discuss the hour cut, and that you will be in her office later today. Make your case orally, and if she refuses, then hand her a simple resignation letter. Theatrics about loyalty, financial growth, etc. etc. will get you nothing more than an eye roll.
I’m with the others, however. It’s a lot better to start looking for a job while you still have one. Slack off at work and use company resources to look for your next job. That’s the American way!
I was in a similar situation once- worked with a small private practice specialty group (OB-GYN RE’s), helped them set up two offices from scratch, did lots of extras including sperm wash/IUI’s, assisted with IVF’s, etc. and weekend hours. I loved the docs and the job, then had a pregnancy complication that kept me out of work for 12 weeks.
Those chicks dropped me like a hot potato.
When I got out of the hospital and made my post partum checkup- of course, with the docs I worked for- they told me they could no longer afford me and had to cut my pay by about 25-30%! If I couldn’t afford the pay cut I should just quit, they said.
Beside the loss of my job, I had my feelings seriously hurt. I worked for these ladies for years!
It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
And they called me in 4 months offering me my old job back at my old pay- it seems it was hard to find a good employee like myself. I declined.
They they called me offering my old job at a significant raise. It seems it was really hard to find a great employee like myself!
And I decline because I loved my new job more. The job I found was a better job with better pay and better hours and was much closer to my house. I still work there and ‘the baby’ is eleven.
And, really, it was ‘just business’ to them. The problem pregnancy wound up costing close to a million dollars. As a small business, they were afraid of what I would do to their insurance situation and how I would perform as an employee with a small. sick, baby.
So, try to serparate your feelings from the practical issues. Consider the ‘business’ aspect, and if necessary, move along. Often that leads to something better. And since the economy stinks, secure a new position before you leave the old one. You can let them know why you are leaving (on your way out). Some doc’s just don’t realize the value of a good employee.
If you’re such a great worker, why are they cutting your hours? Doesn’t really make sense…
I agree with the others that you should raise this orally and find a new job before resigning.
In your resignation letter, I feel it is perfectly acceptable to explain why you are leaving (loss of hours and benefits). But leave out the verbiage about "unacceptable,“unconscionable,” and blaming anyone in particular (i.e. the physicians).
Start looking for a new job now. Don’t put it off until the weekend or the holiday time you have off, do it now. If you look for a couple of weeks and start lining up interviews you may consider leaving without a firm offer in hand, but be damn sure you can handle that if you choose to go that route.
A few months ago I was in a position with a shitty company that was breaking all kinds of laws in the way they were handling my employment and it was the longest commute I have ever had in my life. Everyone kept telling me to find a new job before I left the old one. I started applying and as soon as I set up more than 1 interview I turned in my two week notice. On paper this is a very bad choice and I was given much crap about it from various people in my life but I was spending almost 14 hours a day at that job when you add in the commute and I felt my time would be better spent if I took 8 hours a day and looked for a new job so that is what I ended up doing. I have now been employed by one of the best companies I have ever worked for for almost 2 months and I am so glad I made the decision I did. I had enough savings to survive for 6 months and I did some oddball things (ebay, temporary part time jobs, took in a roommate, etc.) to pad my bank account while I looked for something better too but it was amazing how quickly I was able to find a great job when I had the time to put into searching for one!
You may want to go in and see if they would really cut you back to part time, say 25-30 hours or so, and use the extra time to find something better. Then when you leave I would just explain that you no longer feel the company is the right place for you to be and thank them for the time you worked there and let it go. Try not to burn bridges if you can help it but don’t take a cut in pay and benefits lying down either.
Well, I don’t think they’re really cutting her hours, they’re just cutting her benefits. She’s going from “40 hours full-time” to “36-40 hours part-time”. I bet you anything that she’ll usually be scheduled for 39. So basically they keep their full-time employee, but save a ton of money on benefits they don’t need to pay a “part-time” employee.
Sorry that they’re screwing with you. I agree with the above, get the new job first and then resign. It’s the holidays, you might have better pickings if you keep searching into January. You can afford to take your time and be picky, if you can hold out a few extra weeks then it might make the difference between a good job and a Great Job.
Adding my weight to the get a job first and then leave.
I also would go with the don’t bargain or make a deal of it in the resignation letter. Just do it professionally and go. You don’t want anything to come back to you in the future if you make a deal of it and then somebody from your company meets someone from your new compnay at a conference or something and they get to talking etc.
Best just to sort yourself out and get out of there as quietly as possible.
Best of luck and I hope everything works out for you.
In addition to what Wiggie said, to the extent that a dermatology practice relies on elective procedures like chemical peels, rejuventation, etc., they may be suffering from folks not being able to afford these at this time. Or as people lose their jobs and insurance, they may be less able to seek services at all.
Another vote for find a new job before you threaten to quit this one.
I’ve been unemployed for a few months now, and been seeking a permanent position for much longer (was doing temp work…even that has dried up lately).
It’s rough out there right now, even for those of us who think of ourselves as “in demand”. I’ve never had trouble finding a job before. Now, I’m lucky to get a response, much less say an interview.
I know it’s a drag to lose a few hours and benefits, but there are a hell of a lot of people out there right now who’d absolutely love to take 36 hours a week. And 36 hrs a weeks beats the hell out of zero/unemployment.
I agree.
But Alice The Goon, I just don’t get this sort of policy: “OK we have to make cuts, so every one of our valued employees will have to get hurt, rather than us laying off 10% of the most useless.”
Update your resume, post it on Monster, etc. I suggest you also sent it out for a pro to review for keywords, etc.
This is fine:"*The letter:
(appropriate greeting)
Please be advised of my intention to have Friday, January 9, 2009 be my final day here at ______. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with each one of you and appreciate the opportunity to grow and learn at your office for close to five years.
My intention had been to stay employed with you for a very long time to come, providing myself with long-term, stable employment and you with a competent and dependable employee, truly a win-win situation; however, I find your recent decison to change my employment status from “full time” to “part time” and the loss of attendant benefits unacceptable. *" but then just thank them and wish them well.
You know, that could be motivated by simple human compassion. Perhaps the managers would rather inconvenience 20 people than leave 2 impoverished. As someone who had to implements layoffs not long ago (I don’t mean it was my decision; I mean I had to give out the letters, schedule the exit interviews, etc) I can understand that.
As to the letter–don’t explain your reasons for leaving. I’ve done that before, and it was stupid. Just say, “My last day will be such and such. I have enjoyed working here and hope good things happen for everyone here in the future.”
Possibly, but in that case it might have been nice to include a sympathetic note to all employees in the envelope saying “we know the cutbacks will come as an unpleasant shock, however we value all of you and therefore have done our utmost to keep each of you employed while meeting the demands placed on us by budget cutbacks.” Or whatever.
ETA: Agree with above advice to find a new job first and leave without any kind of negative explanation - your reason is simply “I found a job that was able to offer me more hours/benefits.” The end.
Yeah, sure it would be nice to do that, but I can see a manager being nervous about doing so, or simply deciding not to. Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by stupidity, or lack of sleep, or a lack of caffeine.
It is not the usual M.O. of most companies to explain things to their employees. I don’t know if this is for legal reasons or just asshole reasons, but the result is the same.