Dear Andre,

I need some urgent advice. I have been employed at my current place of work for 2 weeks. I was employed (and moved to Cape Town from port Elizabeth) under the promise that I would manage a particular, big account for the company. After a week of employment it emerged that that account was lost and therefore the business cannot pay my salary but that the employer will carry my cost until such time that more accounts were opened.

I received an email on Sunday from my employer stating that he now wants to cut my salary by 44%. And he feels that he "over estimated my abilities based on references he received" as such he has decided to bring in an additional consultant for three hours a day for two days a week. He says this is the reason why he is cutting my salary. Can he legally do this? What happens if I don't agree to the salary decrease?

Further more, he went into my emails and read a few personal emails that I sent and forwarded these to himself. While I know that there is a clause in my contract that states I will not abuse company resources, I did not feel that sending a few personal mails constituted abuse. Further, there was no clause stating that emails will be monitored or read and I signed nothing to the affect of giving consent to this. Without discussing this issue with me, he is saying that I have already abused his resources and as such he is questioning my trust and value. Furthermore, he is using these emails to infer that I am "a cancer in his business and if I can't see that then I shouldn't be working for him". Can he legally use these emails against me, even if I was not aware of the strict company policies?

It should also be noted that no preventive or counseling measures we're taken to address any of these issues. I feel that this is leading to constructive dismissal. I cannot accept a salary decrease as I have just signed a year lease, with other expenses, based on the agreed upon salary.

I'm not sure what my next step should be? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.